Ravenpaw's Secret
by Cattiechaos
Summary: Ravenpaw had to keep a terrible secret from his Clan concerning Tigerclaw. This is his story: what he went through, from start to finish. Rated T for some battle scenes, and there is some tragedy involved. [COMPLETE]
1. Redtail's Murder

Author's Note: During "Into the Wild", RiverClan won the Sunningrocks battle. It ended after Redtail called the retreat and the ThunderClan cats disappeared. So how did Redtail and Oakheart die? There was no time for Oakheart to be crushed under the rock fall. So I can only suspect that Tigerclaw disobeyed Redtail's command to retreat…and fought again!

Chapter One: Redtail's Murder

The moon glowed on the granite boulders, bathing them in a strange silver sheen. The river glinted in the night air as well, flowing, undisturbed. Then, the shadows stirred, alive: but not shadows, warriors bearing the scent of RiverClan.

And then, the clearing burst alive with frenzied yowling, cats attacking cats, claws clashing against claws. In the midst of the turmoil, a muscular dark tabby with glinting amber eyes pinned down a handsome bracken colored tom; Oakheart of RiverClan.

"Oakheart!" the tabby growled menacingly, his amber eyes boring into the yellow ones of the tom. "How dare you hunt in our territory? The Sunningrocks belong to ThunderClan!"

Oakheart snarled as well and tried in vain to get to his paws, his golden eyes glinting with hatred. "After tonight, Tigerclaw," he spat angrily, "this will be just another RiverClan hunting ground!"

Suddenly, a warning yowl sounded, calling: "Look out! More RiverClan warriors are coming!"

It was the dead of night, but the stars of Silverpelt sparkled clearly enough so Tigerclaw could see the RiverClan cats swimming through the river to join in this battle of Sunningrocks.

"You may swim like otters, but you and your warriors do not belong in this part of the forest!" Tigerclaw snarled, getting ready to give Oakheart a bite to the shoulder that would send him screaming back to RiverClan territory, when…

…A desperate scream pierced the night air, and Tigerclaw was forced to leap away from Oakheart. A RiverClan warrior had pinned down a wiry brown she-cat and was ready to give her a killing bite to the throat.

"Run, Mousefur!" Tigerclaw snapped angrily, knocking the enemy warrior away. Now, there was only he, his apprentice Ravenpaw, and Redtail fighting this battle, along with three other ThunderClan warriors. But he would not allow ThunderClan to be defeated in their own territory!

"Tigerclaw, this is useless! There are too many of them!" the yowl came from Redtail, a white tortoiseshell tom with a distinctive ginger tail. "Bluestar would never expect her warriors to fight against such impossible odds! We should retreat!"

"No, Redtail!" Tigerclaw snarled, drawing back to avoid an enemy's claw.

"ThunderClan will honor your courage," Redtail exclaimed, "but we will have another chance to avenge our defeat!"

The two toms locked glances for a short instant, and then Redtail yowled; "Retreat! ThunderClan, retreat!"

The RiverClan warriors exchanged confused glances. Was their victory that easy? But then, the ThunderClan warriors obeyed Redtail's yowl, and Oakheart caterwauled his victory.

The ThunderClan warriors were racing away, until suddenly, Tigerclaw whipped around to face Oakheart and yowled: "Sunningrocks does not belong to RiverClan yet!" he lunged forward and attacked an unsuspecting RiverClan tom.

Redtail yowled in surprise and skidded to a halt. "Tigerclaw! I said retreat!" he exclaimed.

Tigerclaw hissed as he wrestled with his enemy. "ThunderClan will never be beaten in their own territory!" he exclaimed angrily. The other RiverClan warriors let out a yowl of anger and leapt at the muscular tabby.

Redtail let out a yowl of dismay. The RiverClan cats would tear Tigerclaw apart! He bolted forward, back into the fray, leaping on top of the bracken colored tom called Oakheart. Ravenpaw, Tigerclaw's apprentice, also returned to fight once again.

"So you ThunderClan cats are sneaky, sly, and deceiving!" Oakheart was hissing, as Redtail pinned him down to the ground.

The white tortoiseshell lashed his red tail, but inwardly, he was agreeing with Oakheart. He had called the retreat yowl, yet Tigerclaw continued to fight? There would be consequences about this back at camp…if they made it there alive.

Oakheart leapt to his paws, noticing the lapse in Redtail's concentration. Redtail hissed and clawed at the bracken colored tom, and Oakheart was forced to back away. Suddenly, Oakheart collided against a rocky cliff, and there was a rumbling. Redtail looked up with alarm. The rocks were falling!

"Move, Oakheart!" Redtail yowled. Although they lived in different Clans, Redtail would not allow Oakheart to be crushed without warning. Oakheart glanced up in panic, but it was too late for the both of them: they were buried in the falling rocks!  
Tigerclaw was busy grappling with a RiverClan warrior behind a bush, but both he and his apprentice Ravenpaw noticed that the ThunderClan deputy and the RiverClan deputy had been crushed under the falling rocks.

"Redtail!" Ravenpaw yowled, horrified, his eyes wide.

"Get back to camp, Ravenpaw!" Tigerclaw ordered, his amber eyes blazing. Redtail's death! This was perfect…surely Bluestar would now appoint him ThunderClan deputy now! But then, he saw the rocks scatter, and Redtail emerged, battered and bruised, but…alive!

Tigerclaw burned with anger. Redtail was alive! But no cat could have survived that rock fall! Oakheart, certainly, was dead. His bracken colored tail was sticking out of the pile, ominously still.

Redtail was backing up; wide eyed, backing up into the bush that Tigerclaw had been fighting behind. Tigerclaw unsheathed his claws, his amber eyes glittering. Surely it would be all right to kill Redtail now? No RiverClan warriors were around, they had all fled when the rocks fell, and he had sent Ravenpaw back to the ThunderClan camp. Besides, he would be a great deputy of ThunderClan. He could tell the cats that Redtail had died in the rock fall…or that Oakheart had killed Redtail.

The great tabby's mind was made up, and he waited, crouching in the bushes, his teeth bared and his claws unsheathed. Redtail soon stumbled into the bushes, and Tigerclaw had him pinned down in an instant, his teeth bared.

Redtail blinked up at him, his eyes widening. "Tigerclaw! Great StarClan, you scared me. It's just me, Redtail; now get off me, you stupid furball. What do you think you were DOING when you disobeyed my order to run? You could have…"

But then, Tigerclaw silenced Redtail with a swift slash to his chest. Blood blossomed up, and Redtail stared up, shocked.

"Tigerclaw? What are you doing? It's me, Redtail!" the tom's voice was panicky and pained, stunned.

Tigerclaw let out a chilling laugh. "I know that, Redtail," he meowed ominously, amber eyes glittering, "I am going to kill you nevertheless." He lifted an unsheathed paw to bring down on Redtail's throat, but the tom exclaimed: "But why? We've fought together! We were made warriors together! We shared our kit hood together! Why would you kill me, Tigerclaw?"

The dark tabby purred maliciously. "Sorry about that Redtail, but you see, I'm going to tell ThunderClan that you died bravely, doing your duty, crushed under that rock fall or killed by Oakheart. They'll never know…"

"But why are you trying to kill me?" Redtail yowled, struggling to get up; but it was no use, the blow to his chest had weakened him.

"Because I want your rank," Tigerclaw snarled, anger glinting in his amber eyes, "you know that Bluestar should have appointed ME deputy when we succeeded on that mission together, but she chose you. Now, with your death, she's bound to choose me…good bye, Redtail," he meowed quietly. In a flash, he brought a massive paw down on Redtail's throat, claws out…

The tom let out a gurgling cry…

…Then stilled. Redtail was dead.

Ravenpaw backed away, horrified, his eyes wide. Although Tigerclaw had ordered him to go back to camp, how could he run away like a coward when his mentor and the Clan deputy were still fighting? So he had lingered, hiding in the bushes…and he had witnessed murder.

Redtail…Redtail was dead! And not just dead—murdered! By Tigerclaw, no less! Tigerclaw, Redtail, and Lionheart had all shared their apprenticeship together and been made warriors together. Yet Tigerclaw had killed Redtail, his friend since kit hood! But why? 'Mouse brain', a voice in his head meowed, 'you know how ambitious Tigerclaw is. He must have killed Redtail because he wanted to be deputy!'

Suddenly, Tigerclaw stepped away from Redtail's stiff body and turned around…to look straight into the eyes of Ravenpaw, his apprentice…

…Who had seen everything.

End Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed! This is not going to be a one-shot, it will have a second part to it, but that's it, I'm not too good at continuous stories that have a million chappies. So leave a review if you want to see the second part to it! –Addie


	2. Tigerclaw's Second Murder

Author's Note: All right, my bad, the author lied to you. This isn't the final part to "Ravenpaw's Secret". It will have maybe three or four other chapters. Heh. My bad. In this chapter, I just wanted you to know how Tigerclaw managed to keep Ravenpaw quiet. Dear Erin portrayed him as a coward, but I wanted Ravenpaw to have some bravery in him in this story. I make Goldenflower his mother because in "Into the Wild", when Ravenpaw collapsed back at the ThunderClan camp, Goldenflower was the one who padded forward, licked his cheek, and called for Spottedleaf. And thanks to my reviewers! You guys are great! Tigerclaw plushies for all of you!

Chapter Two: Tigerclaw's Second Murder

Tigerclaw's amber eyes burned as he stepped away from Redtail's body and stalked towards his apprentice. Ravenpaw stood statue still, his green eyes wild with fear, shaking. Tigerclaw would kill him now for what he had seen. Oh, if only he had gone back to camp when his mentor told him too: and even if Tigerclaw didn't kill him, he would have to bear the burden of this horrible secret.

The massive tabby let out a snarl and leapt at Ravenpaw, his teeth bared. The apprentice was frozen with panic and didn't try to escape from the tabby's strong hold.

"I thought I'd told you to get back to camp!" Tigerclaw snarled, amber eyes ablaze. The tabby's fur was fluffed out with fear, the fear scent coming from him in waves; his claws were unsheathed and his tail was lashing.

"Then it's a good thing I didn't, isn't it?" Ravenpaw mewed bravely, although Tigerclaw's iron grip was squeezing the air from his lungs. "I saw you back there…you killed Redtail! I saw you pounce on him!"

Tigerclaw's voice went deathly quiet and menacing, his eyes gleaming with anger. "You didn't see me kill Redtail," he meowed dangerously, "and that's because I never did. You see my poor, blind apprentice, Redtail died when the rock fall collapsed on him and Oakheart. He died doing his duty, like a good deputy should."

Ravenpaw shook his head feebly, his breath coming in gasps, his vision blurring due to lack of oxygen. "I know…what I saw…" he meowed feebly, "I saw you kill Redtail…and when I tell Bluestar…she'll drive you out of the Clan!"

The massive tabby's amber eyes gleamed with hatred and terror, his grip tightening and his claws digging even deeper into Ravenpaw's fur, letting blood stain his claws red. Ravenpaw winced with pain, but he looked into Tigerstar's amber gaze without fear.

"If you tell a cat what you saw," Tigerclaw growled, his voice shaking with pure rage, "I'll rip your insides out and feed it to the crows!" he drew back his lips to reveal thorn-sharp teeth and ripped them savagely through his apprentices' shoulder, as if to prove his point.

The dark black apprentice screeched with pain but his emerald eyes burned. "I'm loyal to ThunderClan!" he mewed, "I saw you kill Redtail, and soon, Bluestar…and every ThunderClan cat…will know!" he exclaimed, his chest heaving as he fought for breath.

Tigerclaw pressed down suffocating on the black apprentice to the point where Ravenpaw could scarcely draw breath. Blood gushed from his shoulder wound like the river that bordered RiverClan territory, and Tigerclaw leaned down to whisper into Ravenpaw's ears:

"You will tell no cat about what you saw. You're life may not be precious to you, but I swear by StarClan if you breathe one word of this to Bluestar, I'll kill you're mother and your little friend…Goldenflower and Graypaw…don't you want them to live, Ravenpaw?"

For the first time, real fear etched across Ravenpaw's expression. He would die gladly for his Clan, but he couldn't risk the lives of his mother and his best friend! Picturing his gentle mother Goldenflower being torn apart by Tigerclaw's cruel jaws made him shudder, and Graypaw was his best friend; he had just started his apprenticeship and he wasn't ready to fight Tigerclaw!

Tigerclaw knew he had struck a sensitive spot, for he smirked.

"That's right, Ravenpaw. Keep this secret for me and I promise that I won't lay one claw on either of them."

Ravenpaw's green eyes were dull with defeat. He had to promise this to Tigerclaw if he wanted his mother and Graypaw to be safe. Although Goldenflower had trained as a warrior, she did not have any of her former skill; it had been diminished by motherhood. Goldenflower had always been better suited to a queen's life than a warrior's. And Graypaw was still an young apprentice; he wouldn't even stand a chance against Tigerclaw. After all, even Redtail had died at Tigerclaw's paws.

Tigerclaw's teeth glinted in the moonlight. "So it's just our little secret, isn't it, Ravenpaw?" he purred. "Just between the two of us?"

Ravenpaw got to his paws, looking utterly defeated. "Yes, Tigerclaw."

**Moons Later**

"Quick!" Bluestar howled. "It is as StarClan warned me! Our camp is being attacked!" she tried to leap forward, but stumbled. She pushed herself up and limped onward. Ravenpaw watched as Tigerclaw and Firepaw pelted forward side by side, and Ravenpaw shook his head as if to clear it. His rat bites still stung, but his Clan was in danger!

Ravenpaw leapt forward, his claws unsheathed, his green eyes glinting with fear and determination. He bowled into a white ShadowClan warrior and hung on tight, biting and scratching. Suddenly, his eyes widened with fear. What if Tigerclaw tried to kill Lionheart in this battle? The ShadowClan warrior took advantage of the apprentices' lack of concentration and pinned him down on the ground, clawing Ravenpaw with his thorn-sharp claws. The black tom spotted Tigerclaw at the edge of the clearing; to his horror, Ravenpaw realized that he was simply standing there, watching Ravenpaw being torn apart with his eyes glinting cruelly.

"Tigerclaw!" Ravenpaw yowled desperately. "Help me!" The massive tabby simply watched, his amber eyes gleaming. 'Tigerclaw won't help me,' Ravenpaw realized dimly, his heart pounding with panic, 'after all, why should he try and save my life? If I die, his secret dies with me. StarClan, I can't die! I have to tell Bluestar about Redtail's murder! Redtail, if you're watching this battle, help me now!'

As if a StarClan warrior had suddenly entered his body, Ravenpaw felt an unusual surge of strength blast through him. Energized, Ravenpaw threw the ShadowClan warrior off of him with a mighty thrust and scrabbled to his paws, his fur fluffed up with fear and gratitude. He turned around and saw Tigerclaw watching with barely masked hatred, and Ravenpaw felt fear lance through him.

'I have to watch out for Lionheart!' Ravenpaw thought suddenly, shaking his head and leaping back into the fray, searching for the golden-pelted warrior. He wasn't hard to spot; he was fighting a vicious ShadowClan warrior that was almost twice his size. To the apprentices' surprise, Tigerclaw was helping him! Ravenpaw was puzzled; why was Tigerclaw helping Lionheart fight off the ShadowClan warrior? Wouldn't it just be easier for Tigerclaw to allow the gold tom to get killed? A shudder ran through him as a thought crossed his mind. 'Or does Tigerclaw want the glory of killing Lionheart himself?'

Ravenpaw watched at the edge of the clearing with emerald eyes as wide as moons. Sure enough, Tigerclaw and Lionheart soon sent that ShadowClan warrior running, and Tigerclaw bowled himself and Lionheart behind the bushes. To any cat watching, it would appear as if Tigerclaw had accidentally lost his balance when chasing away the ShadowClan warrior, but Ravenpaw was already racing towards the both of them, knowing that Tigerclaw would murder Lionheart quickly and quietly, shielded behind the leaves of the bush.

The black apprentices' paws raced towards the two, but suddenly, he felt something cannon into his side and completely bowl him over: another ShadowClan warrior! 'No, you stupid furball!' Ravenpaw thought desperately, 'I'm trying to stop a murder from happening!' He yowled as claws scored down his side, knowing that he could not save Lionheart: the tom would have to save himself.

xxx

"Oomph! Tigerclaw, you stupid furball, get off of me!" Lionheart hissed, trying to get to his paws, "it's Lionheart!" the dark black tabby pinned him down, amber eyes burning. "Honestly, Tigerclaw, you have to look before attacking. Now get OFF we have a battle to…"

"Silence!" hissed the powerful tabby, his muscles rippling as he unsheathed his claws and raised a paw over Lionheart's throat.

Lionheart's eyes widened. "Tigerclaw? What are you doing? You—" but his words were cut off…for the tabby brought his claws crashing down on Lionheart's throat…and the golden tabby knew no more.

xxx

The lithe, blue-gray shape of Bluestar padded quietly from the edge of the group of gathered cats towards the apprentices. Ravenpaw watched his leader with wide green eyes. His leader's expression was grave and fearful…

'StarClan, no!' Ravenpaw thought fearfully, unsheathing his claws and letting them dig into the soft earth below, 'could Tigerclaw have killed Lionheart? But Lionheart and Redtail were both such good fighters…Tigerclaw must have surprised them both.' Ravenpaw's heart thumped quicker as he waited for Bluestar to say something.

"Spottedleaf is with Lionheart. It looks bad," she meowed finally, her voice raw with grief.

Ravenpaw's blood ran cold and his heart seemed to explode in his chest as he heard Graypaw's mournful cry. 'Oh, Graypaw!' Ravenpaw thought miserably, 'I couldn't save your mentor…I'm so sorry…and Lionheart…I wish I could have saved you!'

Tigerclaw straightened, his amber eyes gleaming with sorrow; to Ravenpaw, it looked fake. "Lionheart died bravely," Tigerclaw meowed reassuringly, "struck down by a ShadowClan warrior when his back was turned. ThunderClan will forever honor his bravery."

Ravenpaw's emerald eyes burned. Tigerclaw may have a way with words, and every single cat in the clearing might believe the dark tabby, but Ravenpaw knew the truth. Tigerclaw had murdered again that night.

End Note: This chapter surprised me in rather a nice way: I didn't plan out Lionheart's death, so it sort of writ itself. As always, PLEASE review! I won't resort to threats and threaten never to update, but reviewing keeps my muse alive, so thank you all!


	3. Raven's Flight

Author's Note: Well my friends, the end is almost upon us. There shall be one more chapter to "Ravenpaw's Secret"…and then the story shall be closed forevermore. As always, thank you for the reviews! It always pleases me when I see new ones added. Again, no threats about never updating if there are no new reviews…but reviewing keeps my muse alive, so please take the trouble and do so! The more reviews there are, the more likely I am to update! Enjoy, and I'm going to say this one more time and never say it again: please review! It keeps my muse alive!

Chapter Three: Ravenpaw's Escape

Ravenpaw stirred early in the morning, curled up in the apprentices' den. He heard Firepaw hiss Graypaw's name urgently, looking wide-awake.

"Are you awake, Firepaw?" Ravenpaw mewed sleepily, with a huge yawn. He felt guilty when he glanced at Graypaw, mourning the loss of his mentor, and he felt a shudder run through him. Tigerclaw had killed Lionheart just the night before; and now he had been named deputy. 'Oh, Bluestar!' he thought inwardly. 'Why could you have not named another cat deputy? Like Whitestorm?'

The black apprentice saw an annoyed look cross Firepaw's expression, and Ravenpaw felt a pang of fear. Had he done something to turn his friend against him? But the ginger colored tom only replied: "Yes!"

Later on, he was following Graypaw on his way to meet Tigerclaw for training. Firepaw had gone for his first training session with Bluestar, and Ravenpaw envied him for that. Bluestar would be a gentle and wise mentor, and she would certainly not try and murder Firepaw in training, which, Ravenpaw thought dryly, Tigerclaw would have no problem doing. He felt even more apprehensive when the dark tabby sent Graypaw off to hunt so he could train with Ravenpaw one on one.

Ravenpaw crouched low in fear on the far corner of the training hollow, his black fur fluffed up and the fear scent coming off of him in waves as the tabby stalked around him with narrowed amber eyes.

"So I see you've kept my secret about Redtail nicely so far," Tigerclaw purred, his amber eyes glinting with hatred, "and that's a good thing, for Goldenflower and Graypaw would be just so easy to get rid of…" an uncomfortable prickling went through Ravenpaw's spine. Tigerclaw spoke the truth. Goldenflower and Graypaw would be swept aside and killed without a pause if Tigerclaw had set out to kill them.

"You're deputy now," Ravenpaw mewed nervously, "you won't kill any more cats, will you?"

Tigerclaw snarled and bared his teeth. "Mouse-brain!" he snapped, "do you think my ambition would really be appeased after being made deputy? No, I shall become leader yet, but I shall not wait forever for Bluestar's remaining four lives to run out. I may have to kill her…" his tone changed and he let out a silky purr, "and that's another secret you'll have to keep if you want your precious Goldenflower to stay alive. No doubt you've seen me kill Lionheart as well…"

Ravenpaw let out a choked cry, his green gaze trained on his black paws. "How could you kill two warriors that you've grown up with?" he cried out, knowing he was risking his safety in questioning Tigerclaw, "Redtail and Lionheart were two of your kit hood friends…but you killed them both as if they were enemy warriors!"

Tigerclaw let out a vicious snarl and his long, thorn-sharp claws unsheathed. "Friends only get in your way," he snapped angrily, "I befriended Redtail, and I saved his life on that mission we went on together many moons ago. And then what happened? Bluestar overlooked me and named HIM deputy. If I had let him die…" he slashed his claws through the air irritably, "but he's dead now," he continued, changing his voice to a purr, "and I finally have his rank. Let that be a lesson to you, apprentice. No one can stop me."

**Many Moons Later**

"Ravenpaw! We must get you away from ThunderClan territory!" the urgent voice of Firepaw, a flame pelted tom interrupted Ravenpaw's thoughts. The black furred apprentice was curled up in the apprentices' den: Frostfur had just chased him out of the nursery for no apparent reason. He had just wanted to go and see Brindleface's kits, and maybe say hello to his mother, Goldenflower…beside Firepaw was Graypaw, eyes as wide as moons. The three had shared their apprenticeship together, and Ravenpaw had never seen them look so frightened.

"What? Why?" he asked, already trembling from ears to tail.

"Because Tigerclaw is afraid about what you know," Firepaw continued, "he's spreading rumors about you around the camp that you're a traitor to ThunderClan!"

Ravenpaw could hardly believe his ears. "A traitor?" he echoed numbly. "What are you talking about?"

Firepaw flicked his tail with annoyance and meowed: "Come on, Ravenpaw, we have to get you out of here! You're not safe in ThunderClan anymore. Tigerclaw is turning every cat against you, it's spread everywhere: the nursery, the elder's den...you'll be chased out of camp if you don't escape now!"

Ravenpaw felt his head spinning dizzily as he sprang to his paws. 'So this is what Tigerclaw is going to resort to,' he thought bitterly, 'even though I've been keeping his secrets about Redtail and Lionheart, he's trying to drive me out! He doesn't trust me…and good reason for it!' The only thing the black tom would regret was not seeing Tigerclaw revealed for the murderous cat he was. But his true form would be shown eventually: he had told Firepaw the truth before this.

The three apprentices were halfway out of camp when a voice stopped them. Ravenpaw's heart froze and his green eyes filmed over with panic. Tigerclaw!

"Just where do you think you're going?" Tigerclaw meowed menacingly, his tone icy cool, his amber eyes ablaze. Ravenpaw gaped; his friends were equally as stunned.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Bluestar padded up next to the apprentices. "One of Brindleface's kits has a cough," Bluestar explained calmly, '"Firepaw, Ravenpaw, and Graypaw are out to fetch some coltsfoot for it."

Tigerclaw narrowed his amber eyes. "In this weather?" he growled. Bluestar's eyes narrowed as well, and her voice was stern. "Yes," she replied, "hurry up, the three of you!"

Firepaw ducked his head appreciatively, exchanging a grateful glance with Bluestar. Tigerclaw was obviously distrustful, but he could not prevent the three apprentices from leaving when Bluestar was watching.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Graypaw let out a noisy sigh. "Great StarClan! That was close. Too close for my liking."

Firepaw nodded in agreement, and Ravenpaw's heart was still thudding. "We're going to take you to Barley's farm," Firepaw meowed.

Ravenpaw's green eyes widened. "Barley's farm?" he exclaimed, dismayed. Ravenpaw wanted to become a warrior, but he knew that was impossible while Tigerclaw was in ThunderClan, spreading rumors about him. He let out a sigh; his hopes for a warrior ceremony disappearing forever. He was a Clan-born cat, but it didn't matter if he remained an apprentice forever: he valued his life more than any warrior ceremony. "What if Barley doesn't let me stay?" he meowed worriedly. After all, the last time he had seen the loner, Tigerclaw had accused him of leading them into a trap. He might not be so welcoming of another cat to share his home with, either.

Firepaw purred reassuringly. "Remember, Barley catches rats for a living. Just tell him you caught an adder once! Besides, it's your best option. Just be sure to avoid the ThunderClan cats if they ever stop by. We're going to tell them that a ShadowClan patrol killed you off."

Ravenpaw nodded flicked his ears with confusion. "ShadowClan patrol? What are you talking about?"

Graypaw shook his head. "There's no time to explain, Ravenpaw," he mewed urgently, "we can't go with you any further. Travel carefully! StarClan be with you!"

"Thanks Firepaw, and thanks, Graypaw. I'll never forget this!" Ravenpaw mewed earnestly, his green eyes shining with fear and gratitude. He was frantically retracing the route in his mind: and he also remembered the Twoleg dogs that roamed this territory. He shuddered, suddenly more afraid then ever now that the time of parting had come.

Firepaw pressed his side comfortingly against the black tom. Ravenpaw, a forest born cat, would have to live life as a loner. He would never know the glory of receiving his warrior name; never go on another patrol or share tongues with his friends after a long day of hunting. The threesome had been broken up now that Ravenpaw was leaving. But his safety came first, Firepaw knew. Graypaw also touched noses with his friend, mewed a hasty good-bye…and disappeared into the bracken; and only StarClan knew what awaited him in his new life.


	4. Ravenpaw's New Life

Author's Note: Well, my friend, our journey is at its end. When you finish this last chapter of "Ravenpaw's Secret", it shall be the true End. I thank all of my faithful reviewers that have stuck with me throughout this weary long road! What is that authors do to reward you wonderful people? Oh yes, pass out plushies. In that case, a dozen Ravenpaw plushies to you all! Also, when you review, it would do me a lot of good if you offered helpful advice and what I could improve on. I really don't know how I did if all you post is "nice job" or something like that. And now, my friends, I shall leave you to finish our epic adventure: "Ravenpaw's Secret."

Chapter Four: Ravenpaw's New Life

Ravenpaw padded swiftly throughout the bracken, his heart thumping, and the fear scent coming off of him in waves as he went through this strange territory. He would not be able to fight off a hostile WindClan patrol if they chose to attack him. His ears pricked, straining for the sounds of Twolegs, a WindClan patrol, or the dogs that frequently came walking this part of the territory. He was hoping that the dogs would all be tied up, and that he would be able to avoid patrols and find Barley's farm. Already, fear was making him stupid. He had made a few wrong turns in this hostile territory. 'StarClan, help me!' Ravenpaw prayed, as his paws started to ache with the long journey.

Finally, Ravenpaw spotted the large silhouette of Barley's Farm loom above in the dim light. The apprentice crouched low and continued walking, pawstep by pawstep. He was homesick for ThunderClan territory already; the trees and the leaves and the rustling bracken. Good-bye to Goldenflower, his mother, who he had still maintained a special bond with, good-bye to Firepaw and Graypaw, who had risked their own lives to save him from Tigerclaw and the truest friends he could ever find, good-bye to the fierce joy of fighting, the thrill of hunting, and the serenity of sharing tongues with his Clanmates after a long day. As a loner, he would have only Barley and the rats for company. Feeling more depressed then ever, the black furred apprentice emerged from the bushes to come face-to-face with a black-and-white tom.

"Great StarClan!" Ravenpaw screeched, jumping backwards, his heart pounding with fear. The black-and-white tom was startled as well, his eyes narrowing. Then, he slowly relaxed after sniffing the air. "You're a ThunderClan cat, aren't you?" he meowed questioningly, sheathing his claws and letting the fur along his spine settle on his fur.

Ravenpaw took a deep breath of air to calm himself. "Yes, I am Ravenpaw," he meowed, "you met me before, I was with Firepaw, Bluestar, and Tigerclaw."

Barley nodded. "That's all very well, but what are you doing here now? Is Bluestar with you?" the loner craned his neck to peer behind Ravenpaw, obviously searching for the blue-gray fur of the ThunderClan leader.

"N-no," Ravenpaw mewed nervously, looking at his paws, "you see…I have to tell you something." And the apprentice did, starting from the murder of Redtail at Tigerclaw's paws, then the murder of Lionheart, and then why he was there. "I can't stay in ThunderClan anymore, however much I want to," Ravenpaw finished, "Tigerclaw will get rid of me eventually. So I had to leave, and Firepaw and Graypaw thought that you might welcome me here." His tone had a desperate note to it now. "I won't be a burden or anything, I promise I'll work hard—" but he was interrupted by the growling of the loner.

"Tigerclaw is the dark, muscular tabby with the amber eyes, isn't he?" Barley growled, his gold eyes narrowing, "I remember him! He nearly killed me, that stupid furball, when the rats attacked you and Bluestar. I always knew there was something suspicious about him!" Barley meowed, without waiting for the affirmative, "Ravenpaw, of course you are welcome here. I am growing old, and it will be interesting to have other cats for company, instead of just the rats. Prey is plenty here, and Tigerclaw won't find you. Of course you may stay."

Ravenpaw let out a giant sigh of relief, his chest heaving in and out. "Thank you, Barley!" he exclaimed, his green eyes shining with hope. He was starting anew here, at Barley's farm. Although he would miss ThunderClan and his friends, he was quite sure that Barley would make up for everything he was leaving behind.

xxx

"Where's Ravenpaw?" meowed Bluestar suddenly, jolting Firepaw out of bittersweet remembrances of Spottedleaf, the former Medicine Cat from ThunderClan. "It's all very well that you helped drive out Brokenstar and the rest of his rogues, but you come back without Ravenpaw. Where is he now, Firepaw?"

"Yes," Tigerclaw chimed in, his amber eyes glittering coldly, "where is my apprentice? Strange that he should disappear with Brokenstar." He looked meaningfully around the Clan.

Firepaw's fur bristled angrily, but he kept his claws sheathed. "If you think he might have been helping Brokenstar," he snapped, "you're wrong. Ravenpaw is dead. We found his body in ShadowClan territory. He must have been slain by a patrol. I will tell you everything later," he finished, giving a look to Bluestar.

"I never said Ravenpaw was a traitor!" hissed Tigerclaw. Inwardly, he was relieved. The only cat that had held both of his secrets was dead. Now, no Clan cat knew that he had killed both Redtail and Lionheart in his ambition. "Ravenpaw might have made a fine warrior! His death has come too soon, and his loss will be felt by many of us for a long time."

Suddenly, Tigerclaw felt an icy chill run through him. There was something about Firepaw's leaf green gaze and the proud stance of his flame-pelted shoulders that made him suspicious. Suddenly, a pang of fear ran through him. What if Ravenpaw had told the ginger tom his secrets? After all, Ravenpaw, Firepaw, and Graypaw had been good friends ever since Firepaw had come to join ThunderClan. Tigerclaw itched to unsheathe his claws and rake them over Firepaw's muzzle to get the truth out of him. 'That mouse-brain!' Tigerclaw thought inwardly, his heart thumping wildly with fear, 'has he told Firepaw? What does Firepaw know? What does Firepaw know? _What does Firepaw know?_'

xxx

A white tortoiseshell with a dark red tail and a golden tom with bright amber eyes looked down at their former Clan from the edges of Silverpelt.

"So that makes it two that Tigerclaw has killed," the white tom meowed sadly, casting a glance at the golden tom that sat beside him.

The golden tom dipped his head. "I greatly fear that later, Tigerclaw will have more deaths to his name."

Although the two toms were both StarClan cats, they had no idea how many cats Tigerclaw would kill in the future. He would injure Cinderpaw, crippling her forever, so she could not train to be a warrior. He had slain Brindleface, a gentle mother, and Runningwind, a fleet warrior. Through his evil deeds, he had killed Swiftpaw and taken away Brightpaw's eye and ear. He would cause Bluestar to lose faith in StarClan and her warriors…indeed, Tigerclaw was a dark name among the Clans.

"I see Ravenpaw has been forced out of ThunderClan by Tigerclaw." It was the white tom with the red tail that spoke once more, his voice thick with anger and sorrow. "He was a good apprentice, eager and had good potential."

"Yes, Redtail," the golden-pelted tom continued, just as sadly, "he would have made a fine warrior. And Tigerclaw would have made a fine warrior as well, if only his ambition hadn't driven him to murder us!" His whiskers twitched with anger. "And Bluestar may be in danger as well. She is not on her fifth life, as Tigerclaw believes, she is on her seventh, and she is in great danger."'

"Indeed, Lionheart." It was a new voice that spoke, belonging to a beautiful she-cat whose pelt was dappled with dusty brown and rose red and cool black and gentle gold, whose amber eyes were warm and friendly. "Yet only Fireheart has the knowledge to tell Bluestar of this rising danger. Everything depends on how tactful he is; we all know that Bluestar thinks her deputy is reliable and trustworthy. She does not know how far he will go for his ambition. She is in great danger, and only Fireheart can stop it."

The two toms turned to welcome Spottedleaf, the former ThunderClan medicine cat. They three StarClan cats sat side by side by side, their coats glimmering with the silver sheen of the stars, their eyes dark with hope. "You are right, Spottedleaf. The prophecy was true, after all," Lionheart meowed, his eyes flashing as he at last understood the prophecy that StarClan had chosen to share with the ThunderClan leader.

Spottedleaf nodded, her amber eyes glittering strangely in the light of the stars. "Fire will save the Clan."


	5. Ratter

Author's Note: When you first read this, I expect your reaction to be: "Good Lord! A fifth chapter to "Ravenpaw's Secret"?! But there was only supposed to be four! OMG! Spazz! Yes, I understand that I would write only four chapters, but I got the most curious private message. It said: "I expect more." I stopped to ponder this for maybe forty minutes of my young life. And I thought: "There _is _more to Ravenpaw's story! And there is more that needs to be written about! By God, I must write!" So here is the _very _unexpected fifth chapter to my story. I am sorry for the small heart attack I may have caused you.

Chapter Five: Ratter

Ravenpaw was prodded awake that morning. 'Great StarClan! Who is that?' he grumbled inwardly, rolling over to avoid the persistent poking. 'Is that Firepaw or Graypaw? What do they want?' He blinked open his eyes, expecting to see the friendly smile of the gray-pelted tom known as Graypaw or the familiar red pelt of his other friend Firepaw.

The cat that loomed above him was black-and-white. Barley. And then he remembered.

The memories washed over him with such a shock, he nearly cried out. He was at Barley's Farm; his new home. He was far away from ThunderClan territory and most likely never to see his mother or friends ever again. He blinked frantically, hoping no tears were welling up in his eyes. He didn't want Barley to think he was unhappy here. He was grateful for the loner to have opened up his home for him, but Ravenpaw missed ThunderClan with such ferocity, it was almost like an ache under his heart. Every time his heart beat, he felt the pain anew, and his whiskers quivered with the force of it. No more running through the forest with his two best friends, no more days of hunting, no more sharing tongues and sharing meals, no more apprentices' den, no more Training Hollow, no more Owl Tree…and most of all, he would never become a warrior.

When he was still a little kit, he had often wondered what his warrior name would be. He toyed around with Ravenclaw and Ravenfeather, finding that they didn't fit him at all. He considered Raventalon, Ravenscreech, and Ravencaw. But now he knew that he would never call any of these names his own; in the eyes of StarClan, he would forever be Ravenpaw. And he would miss the warrior ceremonies of his friends! Firepaw and Graypaw. He had predicted their names to be Graystripe and Firefur, but now he would never find out.

"Hello there, young Ravenpaw. Overslept, have we?" The cheerful greeting from Barley broke Ravenpaw out of his thoughts.

"Oh. Yes," Ravenpaw babbled, getting to his paws and shaking out his pelt. There were a few short moments of awkward silence. If he were back in the Clan, Ravenpaw thought, he would have reported to the Training Hollow with Firepaw and Graypaw for some training. After that, he would hunt for the elders and the queens, and then share tongues with his friends. What was he to do in this strange new territory? There was no prey that needed to be caught for the elders. He had no training to do. He shuffled his paws and trained his gaze on the floor.

"Would you like to eat?" Barley meowed, flicking his tail out at the haystacks, "there are always mice hiding there. We get an occasional rat, too, which is where the real fun comes in." Ravenpaw nodded politely, inwardly wondering how catching rats could be considered as 'fun'. This loner certainly had too much time on his paws. Was this how the kittypets felt, trapped at home in their nests? Was this how Firepaw had felt before he came to the Clans?

In short succession, Ravenpaw had caught three mice. In the forest, the territory was wide, and there were many holes and fronds for the prey to hide in. But here, in a barn with four walls, mice were almost always in clear view of the hunters. It was easy, and even though Ravenpaw complained when his belly was empty, he felt oddly disappointed at this easy catch. After all, what was the satisfaction in catching prey that just wandered up to you curiously?

Halfway through their meal, Barley meowed: "I was thinking of teaching you how to Rat later on. There are always rats in this barn." He shook his head irritably and flicked his ears, "annoying little buggers, but easy to catch. We'll go when you're ready."

'Teach me how to rat?' Ravenpaw wondered inwardly, 'is that how Barley refers to catching rats?'

"I'm ready," he meowed confidently, getting to his paws. He had never caught something just for the fun of it before; he just caught prey for his Clan. Barley looked exceptionably pleased.

"So you're a curious one," he meowed in a friendly manner. "All right then. Come along!" He led the black-pelted apprentice out of the barn and behind it, where there was a long, deep ditch. Ravenpaw remembered it as a place where Bluestar had been attacked by the rats and had lost a life.

Suddenly, a black shape scampered across the ditch, making Ravenpaw jumped. Barley's eyes gleamed. "Watch and learn," he meowed. In a flash, Barley raced over, cornering the rat against the wall of the barn and making a final bound with outstretched claws. But the rat was much quicker than any mouse or rabbit or other forest prey. Barley whirled around suddenly and blocked the rat's escape route. Whippet quick, he bit into the rat, snapping its neck.

"Wow!" Ravenpaw exclaimed. He realized that when hunting rats, stealth did not matter. Precision and speed were of the essence; precision that could only be achieved after many moons of practice. He told this to Barley, who purred.

"Good thinking, Ravenpaw."

Pleased by Barley's praise, Ravenpaw meowed: "Do you think I'm ready to try it for myself?" Barley was clearly hesitant. "Maybe..." he meowed cautiously, but Ravenpaw cut him off.

'He expects me to fail,' the black-pelted tom thought. 'Like Tigerclaw always did!' But this knowledge didn't fill him with bitterness and anger; it fueled him with a fierce fire to prove himself. A fire, he realized, the same fire that filled his friend Firepaw. Now Ravenpaw knew firsthand what it felt like to be the outsider, the one that had to prove himself worthy. Firepaw had to prove what the Clan already took for granted.

The tom's amber eyes scanned the clearing for a rat. He was not disappointed. Soon enough, a long, black shape shot out of the shadows, and Barley meowed: "After it!"

Ravenpaw needed no further encouragement; he was off in a flash. The rat was charging towards the barn walls, and Ravenpaw put on an extra burst of speed. This rat was not going to escape from him; he would catch it and show Barley that he was worthy of the status "Ratter". Suddenly, the rat veered away sharply to the left. Surprised with the sudden maneuver, Ravenpaw cannoned into the barn wall, where he lay, dazed, his head pounding. He heard pawsteps approach and Barley crouched over him, concerned.

"Ravenpaw?" he meowed, whiskers twitching. Ravenpaw realized that he looked concerned, but deeply amused. Barley had known this would happen!

"I told you that you weren't ready yet," Barley meowed disapprovingly.

"You never said that," Ravenpaw groaned, getting to his paws, "you just said 'maybe.'"

Barley purred with laughter. "But now you know. Ratting is different from catching your forest prey. Like you said, you have to be swift, but you have to control your paws instead of crashing recklessly through the barn." He twitched his ears once more in an effort to contain his amusement and meowed: "Enough of ratting for today. I'll show you around the territory."

Ravenpaw shook his head once more, hard, to clear it, and padded after Barley, slightly annoyed and slightly pleased at the same time. He would catch the rat next time. By StarClan, he swore it.

xxx

"And here is the edge of my territory."

The voice of Barley broke Ravenpaw from his thoughts. They had been traveling through Barley's farm for quite some while--the tom insisted on giving Ravenpaw ample time to get used to the new space.

Already, the tom missed the trees and the shelter that it gave. In ThunderClan territory, there were always some trees to hide behind, or a clearing to nestle in. He missed the warmth of Sunningrocks, and the closeness in the apprentices' den. He missed standing before Highrock, gazing up at the moon. Barley's territory was at the edge of the WindClan moors.

Ravenpaw shivered as the wind buffeted through his fur and disheveled it. He stopped to give his shoulder a quick grooming, but it was no use--the wind quickly blew it out of place again.

Barley turned around and laughed, not cruelly like Tigerclaw, but with an amused tone. It seemed that Barley was often and easily amused.

"You can't get you're pelt to stick down like that in the moors," he meowed, his voice kind and understanding, "and you're long fur will make all this wind uncomfortable. A long coat isn't necessary since we have the barn. But don't worry," he added, when Ravenpaw was starting to feel disheartened, "after Leafbare, it'll grow back shorter."

Ravenpaw purred. "Thank you, Barley," he meowed, "I really appreciate this."

Barley smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "It's no problem, Ravenpaw," he meowed, "I think it'll be nice having company around this old barn. And you'll turn into a fine ratter. You have the makings of the best. Fleet paws. Keen eyes."

The black-furred tom felt warmth seep through him for the first time he had been in Barley's Farm. First foreign and afraid of its vastness, Ravenpaw had felt homesick for the comfort of his friends and his mighty leader, Bluestar. But living in the forest was no longer a possibility for the apprentice; he knew in a part of him that Tigerclaw would be looking for him.

Barley had turned back to lead the apprentice back to his barn, but Ravenpaw stood still for a minute, lifting his head high to the wind. He unsheathed his claws and stretched out his aching muscles, and he bared his teeth, eyes bright. "When you come for me, Tigerclaw," he meowed quietly, his voice quivering with emotion, "I'll be ready. You hear that? I'll be ready!"

xxx

"I see that Ravenpaw had adjusted to life with Barley. That's pleasing," meowed a dark red tortoiseshell with a distinctive red pelt.

A dark black tom with amber eyes responded with a snarl. "My son, a ThunderClan apprentice, has grown up to be a loner?" he unsheathed his claws and he shook his head with anger. "Goldenflower has raised him all wrong!"

A golden tom stepped out from the stars, his eyes glimmering. "Darkheart, you know that is not true. Goldenflower has been an excellent mother to Ravenpaw. He was unable to stay in ThunderClan because Tigerclaw would have killed him!"

The red tortoiseshell meowed next. "Lionheart is right, Darkheart. Goldenflower was a fine mother. But if Ravenpaw had stayed, your son would have been killed."

The dark tom flicked his ears. "I would rather my son die a noble death rather than he run away. If he had learned anything about fighting and the warrior code, he would be able to fight off Tigerclaw. He is a coward and a weakling!"

The red tortoiseshell flicked his ears angrily. "Darkheart, Lionheart and I were also killed at Tigerclaw's greedy claws. Ravenpaw surely cannot fight him off. This was what StarClan had in store for Ravenpaw, and he did good in accepting his fate."

Darkheart looked away angrily, disappointment showing in his eyes.

Lionheart flicked his tail at his friend. Darkheart and Tigerclaw had been close friends; they had been the trio back in their time; Darkstripe, Tigerclaw, and himself, Darkheart.

The three toms stood shoulder-to-shoulder, gazing down at Barley's farm from the ranks of StarClan.

"Ravenpaw will have to face Tigerclaw eventually. I know him better than any cat; he's vicious and bitter, and he can't let go. He won't forget Ravenpaw, either. And when the time comes for the two of them to face it off, Ravenpaw will be torn to pieces. Ravenpaw will die at Tigerclaw's paws, just like you, Redtail, and you, Lionheart. Ravenpaw will not stand a chance against Tigerclaw."

Author's Note: This chapter is sort of a transitional chapter, to let you know more about Ravenpaw's new life. Yes, it was a little boring, I promise it won't be next time. _More to come!_


	6. An Unexpected Visitor

Chapter Six: An Unexpected Visitor

Many Moons Later

A stealthy black cat crept through the shadows, muscles bunching under his sleek pelt, eyes gleaming. There was a disturbance in the shadows, and suddenly, the cat was a blur of movement; he raced over, his claws outstretched, his muscles rippling with power and speed. He caught the rat and snapped its neck with the smooth, fluid movements that only moons of practice could achieve.

"Well done, Ravenpaw!" The voice came from Barley, the black-and-white loner whom had shared his home with Ravenpaw.

Ravenpaw looked up and purred. "Thanks, Barley," he meowed, arching his back and stretching in the gloom of the barn. Life was good as a 'ratter', as Barley called it. No elders or queens to feed. No traitorous mentor breathing down his neck, trying to kill him. With a pang of sadness, he thought: "No more friends to share tongues with, no more forest, no more ThunderClan!"

Although many moons had passed, Ravenpaw still missed his old home. And he was worried. Ever morning, he woke up thinking: 'Has Tigerclaw killed another cat? Has Bluestar been murdered yet? Will Firepaw and Graypaw ever bring the truth up to the surface?' It haunted him every time his mind was unoccupied.

There was a rustling noise at the edge of the barn, and Barley's ears pricked. "Visiting cats," he meowed, "I'll welcome them in, but you had better hide, Ravenpaw, in case they're of ThunderClan."

The black tom nodded and slipped into a bale of hay, where he watched carefully. Although he knew it was important to continue letting ThunderClan believe he was dead, he wanted to see some sign of his former life. He wouldn't even mind seeing the familiar pelts of Sandpaw and Dustpaw, his old rivals. But the cat that he saw slip into the barn lighted up Ravenpaw's eyes.

"Graypaw!"

The black tom shot out of the hale bay and tackled his old friend, knocking him off his paws and sending him flying.

"Mrph!" the disgruntled mew came from Graypaw as he got to his paws and shook out his fur. "Good to see you too, Ravenpaw!" he purred, "though it would have been nice if you didn't try to take my head off!"

Ravenpaw stepped back and surveyed the tom. "You've changed, Graypaw," he meowed approvingly. Graypaw had gone from the skinny gray-furred apprentice to a powerful tom, with muscles hard under his pelt and a confident gleam in his eyes.

"I'm called Graystripe now," the tom meowed proudly. After a pause, he added: "And you have changed as well." Another pause, then he flicked his friend with his tail. "It's been moons, Ravenpaw!" The gray tom felt a pang of sorrow that his black-pelted friend would never have a warrior name.

"And whose this?" it was Barley's voice; the loner had gestured with his tail towards a cat that stood shyly behind Graystripe. She had a light, silver pelt and blue eyes, but a distinct RiverClan scent. Ravenpaw was pleased that he could still recognize it after all these moons.

"I'm Silverstream," the she-cat replied, her eyes lighting up, "Graystripe's told me about you, Ravenpaw."

"Come in, settle down," Barley meowed graciously, "I'll leave you to talk."

Ravenpaw nodded gratefully and led his friends towards a bale of hay where they could rest on. "So, why is a RiverClan she-cat with you?" Ravenpaw meowed, his eyes gleaming with amusement, "are you two running away together after having a forbidden affair?" He let out a teasing purr, butting Graystripe in the shoulder with his head—but he was the only one laughing.

Graystripe flicked his ears uncomfortably. "Actually, Ravenpaw," he mewed guiltily, "Silverstream and I _are _in love, but we're not running away."

Ravenpaw nearly fell out of his hay bale; so great was his surprise. His eyes were as wide as the moon at its fullest. "What?" he meowed, hardly believing this piece of news. "Graystripe, this is horrendous!" he meowed, "you can't take on a mate from a different Clan!" Ravenpaw flicked his tail, clearly agitated.

The gray tom's head drooped. "I knew you'd think so," he meowed, sounding dejected. The silver she-cat shot Ravenpaw a look of pure annoyance and touched her tail tip to Graystripe's shoulder. "We don't need any cat's approval so we can be together," she meowed defiantly, her voice clear and strong.

The black-pelted tom shifted guiltily. "I didn't mean it like that Graystripe," he meowed truthfully, "I was just so surprised." 'That's so unlike him!' Ravenpaw thought inwardly, 'when he was an apprentice, he was always so eager to follow the warrior code, and now he's breaking it without any regrets!'

Graystripe looked up, his eyes glimmering. "You mean you approve?" he meowed hopefully.

Ravenpaw twitched his tail. "Not approve exactly," he meowed, "but if Silverstream makes you happy, I guess it's all right. StarClan can't stop love from happening. Just be _careful_, Graystripe!"

The gray-furred tom purred. "Thanks, Ravenpaw," he meowed, grateful for some reassurance. Silverstream purred as well and twined her tail around Graystripe's; Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement.

"Does Firepaw know?" Ravenpaw blurted out suddenly. When he had been back in the Clan, the three had been best friends. Surely Graystripe would have told Firepaw?

"His name is Fireheart now," Graystripe replied, rather testily, "and yes, he knows."

Ravenpaw understood immediately. "And he doesn't think you should see Silverstream."

Graystripe hissed. "No, he doesn't! He accuses me of being unloyal to the Clan."

The apprentice let out a sigh. "He has a point," he muttered quietly. "How can you stay loyal to your Clan if you see Silverstream?" In a louder voice, he meowed: "But why did you come here, Graystripe?"

It was Silverstream that answered. "He just wanted to know if his best friend approved." Her voice was tainted with annoyance, and Ravenpaw understood how Silverstream felt. But he felt a pang when Silverstream said 'best friend'. When Firepaw and Graypaw had been apprentices together, they were always closer to each other than to Ravenpaw himself.

"And," Graystripe added, "We just wanted to give an update. I felt like you might feel isolated on this farm. No other cats to share tongues with, no apprentices' den…" Ravenpaw felt a pang of homesickness and Silverstream silenced Graystripe with a flick of her tail, giving him a curt yet bemused look.

"About Tigerclaw," Ravenpaw suddenly blurted, "have any cats been killed lately? Have you and Firepaw—heart—told Bluestar about him? What did she say?"

"Tigerclaw?" the interruption came from Silverstream. "Isn't Tigerclaw the ThunderClan deputy?"

Graystripe touched his nose to Silverstream's, meowing: "This is something for Ravenpaw and I to discuss." The she-cat flicked her ears with annoyance, but softened and padded away.

"That's quite a she-cat you've got there," Ravenpaw meowed wearily, his shoulders weighed down by this news. Graystripe, taking a mate from another Clan, and fighting with Fireheart! He hoped the quarrel would blow over soon.

"Yes, she's a pawful," Graystripe laughed, his eyes gleaming with love.

Ravenpaw snorted. "Yes, yes, come on, tell me the news!" he meowed, his tone teasing.

Graystripe shifted uncomfortably. Finally, he blurted: "I think that you should have become a warrior with Fireheart and I," he meowed.

Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. "I think so too," he laughed, "but all the thinking in the world isn't going to change anything!"

Graystripe laughed, eyes gleaming. "Just listen, mouse-brain," he teased. There was a pause, and then he meowed: "You can't get your warrior name from Bluestar anymore; ThunderClan think that you are dead. But I know someplace you can go where you can get your warrior name."

The black tom's ears pricked forward, and his eyes widened. "What are you talking about, Graystripe?" he meowed curiously, leaning forward in apprehension.

The thick-furred tom cuffed his friend playfully over the head and meowed: "Highstones, you mouse-brain! You can go to Highstones and sleep near the Moonstone; you were a warrior once, so maybe StarClan will give you your warrior name!"

There was a pause in the clearing for a second; the two toms seemed to be frozen in time: Graystripe hopeful and eager, Ravenpaw stunned and confused. Then Ravenpaw burst out in yowls of laughter that made Silverstream and Barley prick their ears up.

"_I'm _the mouse-brain?" he mrrowed, still shaking with laughter, "you're the mouse-brain if you think I'm going to wander up to Highstones and ask StarClan for my warrior name. Spiders have spun webs in your brain, my friend," he teased.

Graystripe rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Ravenpaw. Don't you want your warrior name?"

"More than anything!"

"Then listen to me and go to Highstones! You live practically right next door to the Moonstone, it would take you three seconds to travel there."

Ravenpaw paused. "I'll think about it," he meowed finally, his eyes gleaming, "And I said I'll _think_ about it, Graystripe. I want to be a warrior just as much as you want me to be a warrior. But this is so extreme…" he shook his head. "You should be getting back to camp, my foolish mouse-brained friend. There's RiverClan scent all over your fur and I _know _that Fireheart will be frantic."

"I've got an apprentice too," Graystripe couldn't help boasting, "his name is Brackenpaw."

Ravenpaw flicked his ears with amusement. "And I suppose Fireheart has an apprentice too?"

Graystripe flicked his ears, obviously not liking talking about his flame-pelted friend when they were fighting. "Yes," he meowed, rather coldly, "her name is Cinderpaw, Brackenpaw's brother. She's an energetic one, I don't envy Fireheart. Brackenpaw is more serious and thoughtful. He's a good apprentice."

Ravenpaw flicked his ears. "Well, if you have an apprentice, that's even more reason to hurry up. If you and Silverstream are caught on WindClan's territory…" he shook his head and touched his nose to Graystripe. "Go safely, my friend," he murmured quietly. "I lost you and Fireheart and the entire Clan when I was forced to come here. Life with Barley is wonderful, but I don't want to lose you guys again."

Graystripe purred and nudged Ravenpaw on the shoulder. "Don't worry," he meowed, "Silverstream's stronger than she looks." With those words, he padded away, calling to the silvery-white she-cat. Ravenpaw could easily see why she captivated his friend; she was delicate and slim, and definitely pretty, what with her light silver pelt and her glowing eyes. 'Very impressive, Graystripe,' Ravenpaw thought inwardly, 'If only she was a ThunderClan warrior!'

Ravenpaw watched his friend and Silverstream pad away, their pelts brushing, their eyes still glowing with love for each other; so much love, they were willing to disobey the warrior code. And when he saw his friend walking away from him without so much as a backwards glance, Ravenpaw's heart clenched…and he felt as if he were losing Graystripe, Fireheart, and ThunderClan all over again.

Author's Note: A bit of a sad ending, I suppose. Just a note: my house is going under some renovations, and I will be away from my computer for a minimum of a week because of painting, etc. Boohoo! But I will hand-write during school and borrow my neighbor's laptop to type it all up. Heehee. I am bad. But I do like pleasing my readers. The next chapter is going to be _very _interesting, so I would stay tuned if I were you. Just something I want you to look forward to. _More to come. _


	7. StarClan's Ceremony

Chapter Seven: Wings Of A Raven

_Author's Note: I have received two comments about me using the same words/expression too many times; rest assured that this one has plenty of word variety. So don't go around saying I don't like pleasing my readers! This is the longest chapter yet, wh00t!_

If you looked closely at the walls of Barley's Farm, gazing into the dark shadows, you would see the prominent silhouette of a cat, just barely visible, for his pelt was as dark as the shadows. The cat paced anxiously, his black tail flicking through the air, muscles rippling under his sleek, well-groomed fur. The sun had just set, and the sky was bathed in midnight blue and black.

"For StarClan's sake, what are you _doing, _Ravenpaw?!" the voice came from a black-and-white tom, Barley, a loner. He was hidden in the shadows as well, but he perched under the windowsill, and moonlight bathed half his face in light, the other half in darkness.

The black tom stopped pacing, and he turned to look at Barley. "About my name. Ravenpaw," he meowed vaguely, his eyes distant and cloudy. He seemed to be concentrating hard.

"What about your name?" Barley asked, eating a mouse and listening only with the smallest interest at paw.

"Graystripe thinks that I should go to the Moonstone and change it," he meowed in a rush, and then lapsed back into a reverent silence.

Barley looked thoughtful. "Oh, I remember now," he meowed, finishing his mouth in a few gulps, "Clan cats have different ranks, yes? Kits need to have ceremonies when they are six moons so they can train as apprentices. And when apprentices are deemed worthy, they are made into warriors, correct?"

Ravenpaw nodded, still thinking hard.

"I thought only Clan leaders can give apprentices their warrior names?" Barley added, trying to get Ravenpaw to snap out of his concentration.

"Yes," the black tom meowed, leaping onto a hale bale and wrapping his tail around his paws. "That's where StarClan comes in. Graystripe thinks that I should go sleep near the Moonstone, and StarClan will give me my warrior name. But it's forbidden for a regular cat to go near the Moonstone, especially loners! I want my warrior name, but…" the tom trailed off sadly, "I don't know what to do, Barley. I don't even know if StarClan is watching over me anymore since I left the Clans."

The black-and-white tom got to his paws and padded over to Ravenpaw, until they were almost nose-to-nose. "What do you think you should do, Ravenpaw?" he meowed quietly.

Ravenpaw took a deep breath and shook his head. "I don't know."

"At the risk of sounding cliché, follow your heart," Barley advised, "it will never lead you astray."

The black tom got to his paws, his eyes glimmering with a newfound confidence. "Then I'm going to the Moonstone."

xxx

It had been a while since Ravenpaw had gone to the Moonstone; but even if he _had _remembered which way to go, he would have to take a different path anyways. He cut straight across the Thunderpath, narrowly missing a premature meeting to StarClan, and before long, he was traveling through the narrow pathway that would lead him to the shining Moonstone.

This small tunnel was what frightened Ravenpaw the most. He had never been in here before, because Bluestar had selected him to wait outside when she had made her trip to the Moonstone; but the tunnel was narrow and it scraped his pelt, making the process painful both physically and mentally.

Finally, when he felt as if his heart might burst out of his chest, he saw a comforting glow from a few foxlengths ahead. Excited, he bounded through, and was almost blinded by a magnificient, glowing light. _The Moonstone!_

Ravenpaw took a hesitating breath and a few tentative pawsteps towards the glowing stone. He curled up next to the Moonstone, his pelt shivering with the cold, and closed his eyes.

"StarClan…" he whispered quietly, "come to me…please."

xxx

"It appears we are being called on," a red tortoiseshell meowed conversationally, nestled comfortably in between the stars, his pelt gleaming in the starlight.

"By who? Bluestar?" It was a golden tom that replied.

Spottedleaf, a tortoiseshell she-cat, peered into the Moonpool and meowed: "It is Ravenpaw."

A different cat stalked past Redtail, the red tortoiseshell, eyes gleaming angrily, and snarled: "My son dare seek out StarClan? He chose the life of a loner—we don't go to him."

The tom was Darkheart, the father of Ravenpaw. He looked quite a lot like Tigerclaw, the same eyes, almost the same colored pelt, but that was only to be expected; after all, they were brothers. Lionheart, the golden tom that had been before mentioned, flattened his ears irritably.

"Ravenpaw was once a Clan cat, it runs through his veins and it is in his heart. Obviously, he still believes in his warrior ancestors."

"Darkheart, you were one of the cats to oppose Fireheart to coming to the Clan," Redtail continued, "but he has done much good to ThunderClan."

Darkheart flexed his claws angrily. "I have disowned my son. I will _not _see him!"

Spottedleaf's gentle mew rushed over the toms like soothing water. "Then I will go with Redtail and Lionheart."

Darkheart grunted.

Spottedleaf and Lionheart raced across the starry heavens, but Redtail paused to look Darkheart in the eyes. "I expected more of you, my brother." His eyes flashed once, and Redtail disappeared between the stars.

xxx

When Ravenpaw opened his eyes, everything was dark. 'No StarClan,' he thought miserably. He had no idea that taking the life of a rogue would mean never seeing Darkheart, his father, or Whitefeather, his gold-and-white pelted sister, killed in the battle of Sunningrocks.

Then he realized that he was not in the cave anymore—he was at Sunningrocks! The stones were bathed in starlight. Ravenpaw was wide-eyed. Only leaders talked to StarClan; and here he was, a _loner, _being sent a dream?

With a gasp, he realized that three bursts of starshine fell through the sky, falling like a meteor. The starlight fell lightly down to Sunningrocks, and gradually took the shape of cats.

Ravenpaw watched with bated breath and wide eyes. There were three cats; one had a beautiful dappled pelt, one was red, and the other was gold. With a shock, Ravenpaw yowled: "Lionheart! Spottedleaf! Redtail!"

He wanted to rush forward and touch his nose to Redtail's; after all, he was Redtail's nephew. But awe kept him still.

"Greetings, Ravenpaw," Spottedleaf meowed quietly, her eyes aglow. Ravenpaw crouched low with respect. "We welcome you as well," Lionheart mewed quietly. There was a pause, and Redtail meowed: "You come here to seek something, Ravenpaw."

It was not a question, but a fact. The apprentice dared to look up and forced himself to not flinch as he met his uncle's gaze. "Yes, Redtail," he meowed quietly, his voice almost a whisper, "I wish to take on a warrior name."

Lionheart narrowed his eyes and padded forward until his nose almost brushed Ravenpaw's. When he spoke, his voice was a low purr, rumbling through his throat. "So be it."

xxx

Ravenpaw felt a shudder run through his frame. "How did I get here, Redtail? I thought StarClan didn't watch over loners, only Clan cats."

It was Spottedleaf that answered. "You are still a Clan cat in your heart, Ravenpaw," she meowed gently, her eyes warm and soft, "if you didn't, we couldn't be here."

"But Spottedleaf," Ravenpaw continued, "I'm just an apprentice; only leaders are supposed to speak to StarClan."

Spottedleaf brushed her tail at Ravenpaw's shoulder, sending an icy shudder down his fur. "The cats of StarClan come to hail you by your new name."

When Spottedleaf finished speaking, she flicked her tail, and almost at once, stars showered down on Sunningrocks, taking the form of cats.

Ravenpaw felt a rush of pure, ecstatic joy when he saw Whitefeather, his sister—he was even pleased to see his father, Darkheart. The five cats that came down from the skies surrounded him, forming a large circle. They're pelts were dyed silver with starlight.

It was Lionheart that stepped forward first. "Ravenpaw," he meowed, his golden gaze penetrating the apprentice. "Ravenpaw, never before has a loner come to StarClan, asking to receive his warrior name. And you are not a leader, so you are not to be granted nine lives. Yet we give you gifts, for your life has been harder than any life should have been."

And with that, Lionheart padded forward until he was only a mouse-length away. "Ravenpaw, govern the rest of your life with kindness and respect; respect for those that deserve it, and kindness for those that are lesser than you." Lionheart touched Ravenpaw's nose and dipped his head. "Ravenpaw, I hail you by your name, Ravenwing. Follow your heart on wings as swift as a raven's, and help those that are unable to help themselves. I give you the gift of compassion." Lionheart's eyes glowed; and there was no fierceness in them, only a calmness. There was no pain when the StarClan cat touched Ravenpaw, but he felt a rush of confidence.

Then, Darkheart stepped forward, his lips curled back in what looked like a snarl. "When you left the Clan, I disowned you," he meowed gruffly, "but you have proved yourself a worthy cat. My son, I hail you by your name, Ravenwing." He brushed his nose against Ravenpaw's shoulder and whispered; "I give you the gift of swiftness. Fly with the speed of a raven's wings. Use this gift well."

It was Redtail that stepped forward next. "Ravenpaw," he greeted warmly, "although you were not able to stand up to Tigerclaw, you told his secret to Fireheart. He will unmask Tigerclaw for the cat he is; and you helped him do it. I welcome you by your name Ravenwing. I give you the gift of protection; ravens protect their young by sheilding them with their powerful wings. Use this gift well." Redtail brushed his tail against Ravenpaw's flank, and he stepped away.

Then, Spottedleaf came. "Greetings, Ravenpaw," she whispered, in that melodious, quiet voice, "I greet you with your new name, Ravenwing, and I give you the gift of intelligence. A raven flies swift and true, following his path with intelligence and all his heart. May you be as intelligent as a raven." Spottedleaf leaned over and rested her head on Ravenpaw's shoulder, then stepped away.

Whitefeather approached him next. "Whitefeather!" Ravenpaw couldn't help but gasping. He wanted to rush forwards, but he knew that it would be an unforgivable breach of etiquette.

"Hello, Ravenpaw," Whitefeather purred, her eyes bright, "you're life has been so hard in the Clan. But you will be happy with Barley, I know it. I hail you by your new name, Ravenwing." She paused, then continued: "Ravens are strange little creatures, but if anything can be said about a raven, it can be that they are loyal. I give you the gift of loyalty, brother; small it may be, but you never know when a little loyalty will get you out of a big mess."

he went over to Ravenpaw and pressed her ginger-and-white pelt against his, purring. "Brother, I have missed you so." Ravenpaw returned the gesture, closing his eyes…and then Whitefeather padded away.

The five cats surrounded him once more, and Ravenpaw had never felt happier in his life. He was surrounded by the cats he had loved and grew up with. Redtail, always so wise and compassionate and firm; Lionheart was kind and teasing and gentle, always ready to hunt or patrol or serve his Clan in any way he could. His name was true to his personality; his heart was as big as a lion. Spottedleaf, o gentle and kind and always so quiet; Darkheart, his father—always so gruff and prickly on the outside, but ambitious and eager to do good on the inside. Darkheart, with his pitch black pelt, dark as the shadows, and his bright amber eyes; they gleamed with a pride for his son.

"We hail you by your new name. Ravenpaw, from this day forwards, be known as Ravenwing. Although you have left the Clan, serve the remainder of your life with the gifts we have given you: With compassion, swiftness, protection, intelligence, and loyalty."

The voice that rang through the Sunningrocks seemed to belong to a single cat, yet the voices seemed to be melded together in a harmony of all the cats he had ever known.

"I will strive to be worthy of my new name," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes shining with starlight, his heart beating in his chest.

One by one, the StarClan warriors dipped their heads to him; even Darkheart. Ravenpaw closed his eyes, ready to be returned to his own world, but a cat hissed quietly in his ear: "I am proud of you, Ravenwing, my son." Ravenwing recognized the voice of Darkheart, his father, and the outline of a smile could be seen on his mouth. Darkheart was proud of him. That was all Ravenwing had ever wanted.

_End Note: Dun dun dun! If Darkheart and Tigerclaw were brothers, and Redtail was also Darkheart's brother, that means all three are related. And if Redtail was Ravenwing's uncle...(sorry this is so confusing)...that means that Tigerclaw killed Redtail, his brother and kithood friend, and attempted to kill Ravenwing, his nephew! Sorry for the late update..._

_More to come_


	8. Winged Raven, Clawed Tiger

**Author's Note: Well, due to popular demand, surprised "Ravenpaw's Secret" will be continued! Here is the eight chapter, and it is one of my longer ones. Special thanks to Sleets and Rebellwithoutcause—I don't know what I would have done without you guys! And without further ado...**

Chapter Eight: Winged Raven and Clawed Tiger

Ravenwing padded home at a brisk trot. His eyes were shining with the light of the stars, and his heart beat happily; his head was held high with pride. No longer did he have to be ashamed about being an apprentice way past his moons; he was now a warrior. And although he had received the strangest warrior ceremony ever, he was proud to bear the name Ravenwing.

'I will use your gifts well,' the black tom vowed silently, feeling as if his paws had wings and his heart was flying. Every apprentice dreamed of his warrior ceremony, and finally, Ravenwing had achieved his, against all odds. He couldn't wait to boast about it Graystripe and Fireheart—he wondered if Sandpaw and Dustpaw had been made warriors yet.

Suddenly, Ravenwing tensed. He heard the thundering of pawsteps from the distance, and he was suddenly wary—all WindClan cats knew him as Ravenpaw, the ThunderClan apprentice. Surely they would ask what he was doing on their territory? Panicking, he looked from side to side, but this was the moors—there was no place to hide here, and no bush or tree to duck behind.

Then, a cat burst into view, appearing to come out of no where from the inky black sky that enveloped Ravenwing. The tom flicked his ears with surprise and stumbled back, instantly aware. It was a Onewhisker!

"Onewhisker!" Ravenwing meowed, dipping his head respectfully and casting his gaze towards the ground, "I am sorry for trespassing. I—" but then, the black tom let out a gasp as his amber gaze settled on the WindClan tom. Because of the darkness of the night, he had not seen Onewhisker properly, but now that he had, it took his breath away.

The WindClan tom looked as if he had just come out from a battle. His dark brown fur was torn and he was heavily bleeding. He looked haggard, and his green eyes had a light of desperation in them.

"ShadowClan and RiverClan!" the tom gasped out, stumbling forward into the black tom. "Rogues are attacking our camp!" His sides heaved as he fought for breath, and he stammered: "P-please, help us! I will show you the w-way to my camp!" Obviously, Onewhisker had not recognized Ravenwing, but he had assumed that Ravenwing was a Clan cat, and Ravenwing didn't bother correcting him.

"Lead the way!" he commanded, his heart beating quicker in his chest, and his eyes gleaming with anticipation, his whiskers quivering. This was what he had missed most about being a warrior—the battles. There was nothing better than fighting valiantly beside friends to protect and defend your Clan; that was what Clan honor was all about. He may not be able to fight beside ThunderClan, but he would use his skills to help WindClan. At least Tigerclaw had taught him something.

Onewhisker began to limp rapidly away, trying to keep his weight off of his left hindleg. Ravenwing followed, more impatiently, for he knew that WindClan cats must be dying. His fur whipped through the air violently, and before long, he felt as if he would be blown off of his paws.

He heard the fighting cats before he saw them; screeches and yowls, hisses and cries of pain, and the death cry of dying cats that sent shudders down the tom's spine. He left Onewhisker and pelted towards the WindClan camp, fear and desperation and anxiety lending wings to his paws. He could still see Whitefeather's proud eyes gleaming before him, and he burst into the WindClan camp with a warrior yowl rival to Tigerclaw's.

The black tom skidded into the WindClan cat, and he gasped: every single WindClan cat was fighting; queens, apprentices, and even elders. He had no idea where the kits were, but he hoped that they were safe in the nursery. Without a second thought, he flung himself into the battle.

Ravenwing felt exhilaration racing through his veins as he caught hold of a tortoiseshell she-cat and dragged her back off a battered WindClan tom. Ravenwing unsheathed his claws and scored them across her pelt, making her scream in agony and rage. She tried to twist over to claw his muzzle, but Ravenwing drew back, quick as an adder, and tore open her shoulder. Scarlet blood spurted out of the wound, staining the ground. His eyes gleamed as the she-cat went stumbling away, but his celebration didn't last long; another cat bowled into him.

It wasn't long before Ravenwing was starting to feel the effects of the battle. Ever since he had come to help WindClan, the numbers had tipped even, but now, Ravenwing was running out of stamina. He had just sent a ShadowClan warrior crying out of camp, but just then, something massive bowled into him, squashing him against the ground and making him yowl in surprise.

He felt the enemy pin him down, so that his muzzle was pressed down into the dirt. The RiverClan cat dug his claws into Ravenwing's shoulder and pinned him down while the hindlegs tore out clumps of fur. Ravenwing yowled and twisted with agony, but he was rapidly weakening: the RiverClan cat was a good strategist. He felt the blood surge out from him as the enemy warrior drew out even more blood, and pain made his vision flash red before him.

He caught a glimpse of silver fur and he gasped. "Silverstream!" he meowed weakly, gasping for breath. He felt the weight lift off of him, and now he could feel warm trails of blood traveling down his fur to dye the ground below him the red hue of death.

"Ravenpaw!" he heard the silver she-cat gasp. He let out a groan of pure agony as he felt himself being rolled over onto his side. "Are you all right?"

"StarClan only knows," the black tom grunted, struggling to his paws." He began to see why his friend was captivated by Silverstream—she was a ferocious fighter, swift, agile, and a quick-thinker. She was a beautiful she-cat that could fend for herself. "Silverstream, what are you doing here? Why are you fighting WindClan? You know that forcing another Clan out of their territory is against the warrior code!'

Silverstream's eyes narrowed. "The warrior code," she meowed bitterly, her expression hard, "you speak of the warrior code, when you are a rogue?"

Ravenwing looked abashed at her words. "Silverstream..." he protested, his eyes wide.

"My father's Clan is _dying _of hunger!" Silverstream exclaimed, her voice filled with emotion and pain, "Don't you think we know we are doing wrong? Don't you think we feel guilty about doing all of this? My Clan is hungry! Our queens have no milk to feed their kits; they cry out for milk, which their mothers do not have! The elders are growing weaker and weaker, and some die from starvation!"

Ravenwing's eyes bore into Silverstream's, shocked by the passion an anger in the she-cat's tirade. "But you know that this isn't the answer," he mewed quietly, "this!" He gestured with his tail towards the fighting and dying WindClan cats, and added: "What about ThunderClan? If it comes to a fight between your birth Clan and Graystripe's Clan, which side will you fight on, Silverstream?" There was a pause, and Ravenwing looked down at his paws, his voice choked with emotion. "Silverstream, which side are you going to make Graystripe fight on?"

Silverstream's eyes filled with pain, and she whirled away from him to race out of the WindClan camp, a silver blur against the inky sky.

'Silverstream,' Ravenwing thought desperately, 'you're tearing Graystripe into two! How can he be loyal to you and his birth clan at the same time?'

He was interrupted by his thoughts when a massive she-cat bowled into him, tangling her paws with his and forcing him to the ground. Ravenwing glanced up, completely defenseless, and his eyes widened.

"You!" the she-cat snarled. She had a golden pelt, dappled with darker spots, like a leopard. Leopardfur! "I know you!" she spat, "you're a ThunderClan warrior!" her eyes grew wide with panic, and Ravenwig knew what she was thinking.

If the ThunderClan cats had come to WindClan's aid, then RiverClan cats would certainly die. Ravenwing knew that the she-cat wasn't prepared to risk her warriors' safety against two enemy Clans, even if they had ShadowClan's help.

The spotted she-cat still hesitated. She knew that ThunderClan had strong warriors...if ThunderClan cats were coming…

"RiverClan! Retreat!" leopardfur yowled, leaping off Ravenwing and tearing off into the moors. "Retreat! ThunderClan is coming!"

The RiverClan cats let out yowls of surprise and released their enemies, knocking one another over as they struggled to get off the moors. Ravenwing saw the WindClan leader, Tallstar, rear upwards and yowl his victory after he heard the ShadowClan leader also scream his retreat.

The ShadowClan cats tore after the RiverClan cats, they're former allies. WindClan let out a victorious caterwauling and dashed after their enemies, chasing them of their territory for good.

Ravenwing let out a sigh of relief and flicked his tail, ready to head on home…

…when an all-too-familiar voice interrupted him.

"Going somewhere, Ravenpaw?"

Tigerclaw.

xxx

Ravenwing let out a gasp of horror as he spun around to face the amber eyes of Tigerclaw, his old mentor, his new rival.

"Tigerclaw!" the black tom spat, his claws unsheathing, but it was too late; Tigerclaw lunged forwards, claws unsheathed, aiming for Ravenwing's throat.

In the split second Ravenwing had left to defend himself, he heard Darkheart's words echoing through his head:

_"I give to you the gift of swiftness. Fly with the speed of a raven's wings. Use this gift well, my son."_

With a yowl, Ravenwing dove sideways, leaving Tigerclaw to crash uselessly into the moors. The tom snarled with frustration and tried to scrabble to his claws, but Ravenwing was too quick for him. He had a strategy all planned out.

_"A raven flies swift and true, following his path with intelligence and all his heart. With this gift, may you be as intelligent as a raven."_

_Spottedleaf!_

Ravenwing reared upwards and brought his claws crashing down on Tigerclaw, his claws digging into the tom's tabby fur. He let out a ferocious cry of pain and anger, and Ravenwing felt his claws go icy cold, tinged with the scarlet blood of Tigerclaw. It was strange how even Tigerclaw's blood felt evil.

Ravenwing unsheathed all sharp claws and scraped them down the tom, from shoulders to flank, slicing through the flesh and splattering the ground with crimson liquid. He was ready to give Tigerclaw a killing blow, and a satisfied thought ran through his mind: "One less traitor in the forest...!"

_"Ravenpaw, govern your life with kindness and respect; kindness for those that are lesser than you. I give you the gift of compassion."_

_The gift of compassion...Lionheart! But surely the tom would not want him to feel compassion for such a treacherous, evil cat as Tigerclaw?_

The black-pelted warrior froze and flipped Tigerclaw onto his stomach, where the tabby lay draped on the ground, bleeding and winded, but not hurt enough to die. Yet. His amber eyes were glazed with anger, and his voice was a snarl when he rasped: "You'll never kill me, apprentice."

"I'm a warrior now," Ravenwing hissed, his amber eyes flashing with a ferocity he didn't know he had.

"Ravenwing, if you spare me now, you can give up the pitiful life that a loner gives...and I will give you power," the dark tom rasped, "you will come to my Clan, and together, we will rule the forest! I was your mentor, after all..." he trailed off.

"You have no Clan!" the black tom spat, drawing his paw back and ready to pierce Tigerclaw's traitorous heart.

"Oh, but I will," Tigerclaw laughed, "I will, Ravenpaw. And if you join me, I won't kill you. You cannot kill me, Ravenpaw—you have not the guts. Come and join me. Betray ThunderClan..." his voice took on an evil edge, "betray those cowards; they'll never know what's hit them!"

_"I give you the gift of loyalty, brother; small it may be, but you never know when a little loyalty will get you out of a big mess." _

"You forced me out of my home, Tigerclaw," Ravenwing snarled, his eyes burning, "you took away everything I had the right to call mine. But although you have erased me from ThunderClan's memory, I will always be a Clan cat at heart!"

Tigerclaw let out a croaking laughter. "Then kill me now, apprentice, and see what happens…I'll kill you, Ravenpaw…"

Ravenwing hesitated, his eyes boring into the ones of Tigerclaw. The eyes he saw there were tinged with madness. Tigerclaw was mad! Ravenwing didn't know how far the tabby would go to get what he wanted.

_"I give you the gift of compassion…help those that cannot help themselves…the gift of compassion... hissed and loosened his claws, sheathing them. "I'd like to see you try!" he snarled, releasing the tom from his grip. Tigerclaw wasted no time in wriggling away, limping and snarling._

"One day, I'll become strong," the tabby vowed maliciously, the madness clear in his amber eyes, "one day; I'll kill Bluestar, Fireheart...especially that kittypet. I'll kill every single ThunderClan warrior, one by one--every single cat that is dear to you. I will unite the four Clans, and I will rule the forest!" The tom threw back his head and let out a screaming laugh, full of anger and frustration and fear.

Ravenwing felt himself shudder and he shook himself. "I'll be ready for you, Tigerclaw," he vowed, as the tom raced away limping, "when you come for me, I'll be ready. When you come for me...you're crowfood."

**End Note: Well, there you have it! Go ahead and press that little indigo button labeled review ;D And here's a treat—I am changing the title of "Ravenpaw's Secret" (because of course, he isn't Ravenpaw anymore), and I don't wan to just change it to "Ravenwing's Secret." So I am holding a mini contest—you can submit the titles _you _want for "Ravenpaw's Secret", and I will use the best title submitted **

_More to come_


	9. Petals Of The Palest Rose

**Author's Note: Everyone, thank you for your reviews and private messages, especially to those of you that suggested names over Email! (Special thanks to Moonflower0Aquastar for submitting four!). I am not going to choose a name just yet, since I have received many wonderful ones, but I am still awaiting for the perfect one. So go ahead and suggest a name if you think you have a good one! Now, without any more delays...I present you with the ninth chapter ;)**

Chapter Nine: Petals of The Palest Rose

Wind whipped through the moors, flattening the grass stalks and wailing through the air, as if it were a living, breathing thing. It screamed like a tortured being and lashed through the moors, grasping the cats that lived there in its icy fingers. The night was darker than the underside of a raven's wing, and already freezing cold.

A solitary figure plodded through the moors, her fur rippling through the wind, her head drooping towards the ground. Weary and exhausted, she barely managed to keep her paws moving from under her. These moors were unlike anything she had ever seen, and they were so different from her own home.

She knew her own territory from every crevice to every gully—every slope and every path. But here, everything was foreign and new, and without a guide, she was hopelessly lost.

Exhausted, she knew she had to find shelter, least she be blown away by the wind. She saw something loom ahead of her, casting a dark shadow over her slim shape, but when she looked up, she did not recognize it.

It was almost like a massive red box, and the edges of the box met sharply at the top, forming a kind of triangular shape. It looked like some kind of shelter, and heat came off of it in comforting waves. _Warmth._

She let out an exhausted sigh and stumbled forwards the last few steps, just barely making it through the doorway, and she lurched forwards, her fatigue catching up to her, and she slept.

xxx

Ravenwing stumbled back to Barley's Farm, weary and bedraggled. Every step was torture for his aching muscles, and his head lolled downwards. But his eyes still burned with a passion. He had fought again!

He never thought that he would fight a warriors' battle again in his life, since he was presumed dead by ThunderClan. His only major battle was with ShadowClan and the Sunningrocks battle; and those were merely vague memories. His skills had stayed with him; a bitter smile crept up on his mouth. At least Tigerclaw had taught him something.

So distracted was he that he plowed into a figure that was curled up in the middle of the doorway. Surprised, he tripped over Barley with a surprised squeak.

"Barley!" Ravenwing exclaimed, getting to his paws and shaking his head as if to clear it. "What were you doing there? I could have—"

With a jolt, Ravenwing realized two things. Firstly, the cat that he had tripped over was not Barley. Secondly, she was still asleep.

xxx

"But she doesn't look like any Clan cat I've ever seen!"

Ravenwing and Barley both studied the strange she-cat, who was still fast asleep.

"Are you sure she's not a WindClan cat?" Barley insisted.

"Yes, I'm positive!" Ravenwing argued, "she looks about as old as I am. WindClan would have brought her to several Gatherings—I know all WindClan cats, Barley. Besides, look at her fur! Have you ever seen fur like that?"

"No," the black-and-white loner sighed, "I admit that I have never seen the fur that she has." The two toms both gazed down at the she-cat, apparently too astonished for words.

Clan cats normally were thin-pelted, with coats the colors of the forest so that they could blend in when stalking prey. Mottled brown, shadowy black, russet red and dappled tortoiseshells were common amongst the Clan, whereas vivid colors that stood out from the forest floor were not. But this she-cat...

Her fur was the color of pink rose petals. A rose petal—that was the first thing Ravenwing thought when he took a good look at her fur. It was the pale pink of a light-colored rose, and she had a white chest, paws, and white tipped ears.

"Remarkable," Barley muttered under his breath, "I had no idea her fur would be such an odd color when I cleaned all that mud off of her."

"Mud?" Ravenwing repeated, puzzled, his eyes narrowing at the sleeping she-cat.

"Yes," Barley meowed critically, "her fur was completely streaked with mud when I found her here last night. She was curled right up in the doorway. I guess she really _isn't _a WindClan cat."

Suddenly, the she-cat twitched in her sleep, making both toms jump. Then, she slowly blinked her eyes awake and let out a yawn. Ravenwing realized with a pang of alarm that her eyes were also a peculiar color—a dark gray. She was quite beautiful, if not unusual.

Then, the she-cat let out a large screech and sprang to her paws, her fur bristling and her teeth bared. "W-who are you?" she commanded fiercely, although her voice shook and the fear scent rolled off of her in waves.

Ravenwing took a step backwards. "We don't mean you any harm," he soothed, "my name is Ravenwing—this is Barley."

Barley smiled. "Ravenwing, hnn?" he muttered to the black tom, "so StarClan _did _give you a warrior name?"

Ravenwing muttered: "Later," in return. He turned back to the pink-furred she-cat and he meowed: "Who are you?"

The she-cat seemed to relax, for she let out a sigh and her shoulders slumped. "My name is Petals of Palest Rose," she meowed, "but please, call me Rose." She extended her right forepaw and turned it over in a strange sort of gesture. The only reaction she got from both toms where blank stares.

"You're customs are strange to us," Barley meowed quickly, "where do you come from?"

"I come from the Tribe," Rose answered confidently, as if she were positive the two toms could not be so ignorant, they did not know what the Tribe was.

Ravenwing and Barley exchanged a confused glance. "The Tribe?" Ravenwing meowed tentatively.

Rose nodded, cocking her head sideways. "The Tribe of Rushing Water," she meowed, "do you know of different Tribes in this area?"

"No," Barley meowed, "we do not even know what a Tribe is."

Rose looked aghast. "So you mean there are no Tribes here?" she meowed, her voice trembling. Her tail drooped and her head hung.

Ravenwing interrupted. "Wait," he meowed hesitantly, "by 'Tribe', do you mean something like a group of cats that live together? Like a Clan?"

The she-cat brightened immediately. "If by 'Clan', you mean many cats that hunt together, guard together, share together, and live their lives together, yes! The Tribe of Rushing Water is just like your Clan, except there are many cats." She looked at Ravenwing and Barley with disappointment in her eyes. "Are you two a 'Clan'?"

It was the black-and-white tom that answered this time. "No," Barley meowed, "Ravenwing and I are loners. That means we have no Clan, but Ravenwing was in a Clan before."

Rose's head shot up, her eyes sparkling with delight and hope. "Really?" she meowed, "does your Tri—I mean Clan—have many cats?"

"Yes," Ravenwing meowed, prepared to explain all of Clan history to her. "There are four Clans that live in the forest, ShadowClan, WindClan, ThunderClan, and RiverClan. They all have different territories, and one Clan cat is not allowed to trespass in another's. You're in WindClan's territory—they have the windy moors."

Rose already looked overwhelmed. She settled down on the ground, her gray eyes clouded, shaking her head. "Four Clans," she meowed quietly. "There was only one Tribe in the mountains. You're system sounds so complicated, Ravenwing, I admit. And WindClan territory is most uncomfortable." She sighed, and then looked hopeful again. "I was a prey-hunter back at my Tribe, and so was my sister, though my brother is a cave-guard. Do you have prey-hunters and cave-guards and to-be's in your Clans?"

Now it was Ravenwing's turn to look confused. "Those words are all unfamiliar to me," he meowed, "in the camp; the hierarchy system has six parts. There are leaders, deputies, warriors, queens, elders, apprentices, and kits." He looked up to see if Rose looked too confused, but when he saw that she was only curious, he continued. "Kits are young cats that are not yet six moons old. When they _are _six moons, they train as apprentices, which are warriors-in-training. When you finally receive your warrior name, you take on full-duties. She-cats sometimes become queens, which are cats that are expecting kits. You are an elder when you retire," he finished, pleased that he remembered so much about Clan life. "Leaders make all the decisions around the Clan, and the deputy is the one that succeeds her should she or he die. My leader was Bluestar," he meowed wistfully, remembering his wise and compassionate leader.

"Amazing," the she-cat whispered, almost to herself, her gray eyes stretched wider than moons as they looked into Ravenwing's. "So many Clans...and so well organized! It sounds so different from what we had in the Tribe of Rushing Water."

Rose was eager to tell both toms about what life back at home had been like. "You are a 'kit' when you are not yet able to leave your mother's side. She gives you a simple name, like 'Brook', for example. When you are able to walk, talk, run, and function like one of your Clan 'apprentices', you would become a 'to-be,' when you train to be either a cave-guard, a prey-hunter, or a kit-mother. When you take on one of these three tasks, Stoneteller, our leader, gives you a new name. If your name was 'Brook', he might change it to 'Brook Where Small Fish Swim'," Rose completed. She looked away, wistful. "Brook is my sister. My brother is Talon of Swooping Eagle."

Ravenwing began to understand some of the Tribe's lifestyle. "I see," he meowed thoughtfully, "where is the Tribe's territory?"

"I think I know."

The interruption came from Barley; the black-and-white tom had been listening all this time, but now, he spoke up. "The Tribe's territory is beyond WindClan's. From there, you must cross another Twolegplace, and many, many fields. You will see large snow-capped mountains, and you must wind your way up those treacherous and dangerous paths, where the slip of a paw can lead to death. You will eventually stumble upon the Tribe of Rushing Water. They don't have to fight other Tribe cats for territory because there is no other breed of cat that could survive that harsh weather and that difficult hunting."

Rose and Ravenwing were both astonished.

"How do you know all of this?" Rose meowed at last, her eyes bigger than ever. "You say each of these details as if you have actually been there! The only part you did not mention was The Salt Water that Swallows the Sun!"

"The Salt Water that Swallows the _Sun_?" Ravenwing meowed incredulously, his head spinning from all the knowledge he was trying to digest.

"The Great Salt-Water lies near a large cove," Rose explained, "and it is a vast expanse of water, greater than anything you have ever seen before. It seems to stretch on forever and ever. As the day ends, the sun sinks below The Great Salt-Water, as if it is being eaten! Once the sun has been completely eaten, night falls."

Barley nodded. "Now, I remember," he meowed, almost wistfully, looking off into the distance with vague eyes. "Now I remember."

Rose and Ravenwing were confused once again. It seemed to be happening often to poor Ravenwing.

"But, please," Rose meowed cautiously, "you have not yet explained how you know of this, please."

"I agree," Ravenwing meowed. "How do you know so much about Rose's Tribe?"

Barley let out a wistful sigh, and he put his head on his paws. "All right, Ravenwing, Rose," he meowed, "if you want to know about my past, I'll let tell you. I was once a Tribe cat."

_**Author's Note: Yes, I know that it mentions that Barley lived with Scourge. Don't worry! I'll tie that into the story. I just wanted to leave you with a cliffhanger ending, wicked that I am. Be sure to review this chapter! The faster the reviews come, the faster I will update, as it really fuels my urge to write.**_

_More to come..._


	10. Barley That Sways in Wind

**Author's Note: Just a warning—this chapter contains various spelling errors, grammer errors, run-on sentences, and basically everything that would make an English teacher have a heart attack. I am very sorry about this, and it is because I wrote the rough draft by hand at home, raced to the library, and typed this up so I could post it to my dear readers! (And reviewers)! The librarian was basically glaring at me the entire time, so I had no time to proofread multiple times...ebil librarian that she is. My deepest apologies to you all for the mistakes and the delay—MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! –passes out cookies and Ravenwing plushies to all-**

Chapter Ten: Barley That Sways in Wind

"Don't look so surprised. You may have always known me as Barley the loner, but I had a life before this!"

Ravenwing could only stare, astonished, but Rose was excited, eyes gleaming. "What was your Tribe name?" she asked eagerly.

Barley looked thoughtful. "Hmm...ah! Now I remember. It was Barley that Sways in Wind," he meowed, "but that was much before your time, Rose. Maybe I might have known your mother, but you were too young to know me."

Ravenwing blinked. To him, Barley still looked young and lean, but that was probably because he spent his days catching rats.

"How did you end up from the mountains to WindClan?" the black tom gasped. "Twolegplace, fields, thunderpaths...and The Great salt Water! Great StarClan, did you have to swim over it?" He was bursting with questions. Barley had always been...well...Barley, the retired loner on the edge of WindClan territory that caught rats. Learning about the tom's past life was amazing.

"Ravenwing," Rose rebuked gently, "if you want to hear his story, give him a chance to tell it." She turned to Barley. "Well, Barley that Sways in Wind? What is your tale?"

xxx

"I was born to be a prey hunter when I became old enough to take on my duties. When I think of it now, I realize I should have been content in the mountains." The loner let out a wistful sigh, gazing off into the distance.

"What happened that made you want to leave?" Rose interrupted curiously.

Barley smiled. "Life happened. I was young, and naive and adventurous. I hated the mountains at that time. My parents were both dead—eagles—and I wanted to explore. My best friend understood, and he even came with me. His name was Boulder of Gray Stone. His mate, Star in Twilight Sky, heard of our intention and begged to come with us. So the three of us set off—"

Suddenly, Ravenwing jumped. "Boulder! Isn't he a ShadowClan tom? Dark gray, skinnier than a wet rat?"

Barley threw back his head and laughed. "Certainly sounds like him," he commented.

"Anyways?" Rose prompted impatiently, flicking her ears.

Barley settled down into the hay and curled his tail around his paws before continuing. "Well, one day, I just told Boulder and Star that today was the day I was leaving, because I couldn't stand it any longer. So the three of us set off—"

"You told us that part already," Ravenwing couldn't help chiding.

Rose nudged Ravenwing in the shoulder. "Shh!" she exclaimed.

Barley continued. "Such adventurous we had—all three of us. Racing across Thunderpaths without a trouble in the world, taking care of no one but ourselves—Rose, that was freedom—doing anything and everything we wanted whenever and wherever we wanted." His gaze shifted to Ravenwing. "But you wouldn't understand anything about that, Ravenwing." There was a pause, and then he continued. "Boulder and Star and I wanted to do everything! See everything there was to see; and we did. We might have grown tired of it and gone back to the Tribe—if not for the incident in Twolegplace."

Ravenwing shifted uncomfortably. He sensed trouble, and so did Rose. He could tell because her pelt was bristling as if she saw rows of enemies in front of her. "Relax, it's just a story," he whispered into her ear. Rose flushed red and nudged him with her nose irritably.

"You understand," Barley was meowing, "that at that time, Boulder and I and especially Star was arrogant and conceited..." he trailed off. "But not like Scourge. No...never like Scourge." Barley lifted his head and looked away, as if he were trying to see something in the distance. "It was a dark and stormy night...no, that sounds like the beginning to an elder's tale. It _was _night, darker than an eagle's heart, darker than the shadows. We had recently met a young tom named Purdy, and he was our guide in Twolegplace." Barley scoffed, but in an affectionate manner. "Some guide! It was dark, and we were all lost..."

_Flashback_

"Purdy, tell me. What kind of guide gets lost?" my annoyed voice broke the silence of the night, as all four of us strained our eyes in the confusing mass of Upwalker nests. We could have probably gotten out easily if we were in the Tribe's territory, but here, everything was unfamiliar to me.

"Well, nawh, we're not all _tha'_ los'..." Purdy mumbled uncomfortably, flicking his ears.

"Purdy, I swear, if we're not out of here by first light, my Tribal ancestors will hunt you down," Boulder growled, but in a joking manner. Purdy and Boulder had become good friends in a short period of time. Annoying as Purdy could be, he was usually quite friendly.

Purdy cracked a weak smile. "Dun' worry 'bout tha', I'm thinking I found a way outta this Upwalker dump..."

"Then leave, before I forcibly throw you out of my territory."

A cold voice sounded from behind us, and I whirled around, pelt bristling. But I relaxed the instant I saw who had spoken. An undersized, skinny black tom with a studded Upwalker's collar.

"What, you think you can take on all four of us?" snorted Boulder, flattening his ears against his head. Obviously, my gray-furred friend thought of this tom as a nuisance instead of a threat.

"Yes," was the tom's smooth answer.

"Then we'd better set you straight!" Star snapped. Purdy nodded in agreement, eyes narrowed, digging his claws into the ground.

The black cat laughed coldly, and the studs on his collar glittered strangely in the moonlight. "Let's not be hasty, now," he meowed smoothly.

"He knows he's no match for us," I muttered to Boulder, who snickered.

"Well?" the tom meowed darkly, stepping forward. "Will you leave my territory, or will I be forced to fight you?"

"Look here," snapped Star, "it's a big misunderstanding if you think you can beat us. You're outnumbered, and to be honest, you're a bit on the small side when it comes to size."

Laughter broke out among our ranks, and I knew Star was speaking the truth—so why did I feel nervous when looking at this puny cat? Something about the way his collar glinted made my "six sense" tingle.

The black cat shook his head. "Pity. I admire you're courage, my dear, but you're one of those that stay arrogant to the last."

"If you harm Star, I'll kill you!" Boulder snarled, immediately leaping forwards, claws unsheathed. I hauled him back, and he whirled around, eyes blazing. "What was that for?" he spat.

The tom let out a sigh and flicked his tail. A signal? Suddenly, a terrible sense of foreboding filled me, and with a pang of horror, I realized why the tom's collar had glinted so strangely. It was studded with teeth! Dogs' teeth, even...but how could such a small tom...the answer came as if on cue.

From behind him, the grass stalks rippled, and out stepped a mass of cats—skinny and underfed with bristling fur and bared teeth. Out of them all loomed a massive black-and-white tom with narrowed jade eyes and a hostile glare searing into us.

"Let me introduce my loyal deputy, Bone," the small black tom meowed, with just a trace of smugness in his tone, "and I am Scourge, the leader of BloodClan."

I felt my friends bristle with anticipation—now we were the ones that were badly outnumbered, in the dark, in a strange territory.

"We have to make a run for it," Boulder murmured quietly.

"Yes," I was quick to agree. "We're eagle prey if we stay here."

Even Purdy, so outspoken and reckless and confident, was grim and silent as his eyes scanned over the group of fierce, blood-thirsty cats.

But then, Star spoke.

"We fight," she meowed, her eyes narrowed and pelt bristling. "We fight for our honor! I'd rather die than be disgraced. If we die now, at least we die with some pride in us. I'll fight to the death if I have to!" Her voice was quivering with emotion, and her entire body trembled with anxiety and fear and excitement.

"Ya will die, if yeh fight, Star," Purdy growled.

"Excuse me," Scourge meowed coldly, "I believe you have two choices."

"Just kill them, Scourge," Bone growled, in a low rumble of a voice.

"Nonsense!" Scourge replied briskly, as if he were discussing something as simple as the weather. "Now, you can either fight against BloodClan and be shredded to kit bedding and drown in your own blood and the blood of your friends...or you can join me."

Bone loomed over us, eyes cold. "Which do you choose?" he rumbled, his lips drawing back in a snarl.

"How about I add a third option?" Star yowled, throwing her head up to the sky and unsheathing her claws. "We will fight, and we will win!" With a fierce caterwaul, she leapt at Scourge with eyes like flinty ice. And immediately, the air was filled with yowls and yelps of pain, and the writhing and screeching of cats eager for our blood.

I lost sight of my friends and charged into the fray of cats, only to buried under a mass of bodies. I was immediately pinned down, and couldn't see a thing! Biting and scratching and blinding pain—it was like that for the longest time; moons! I managed to get my claws unsheathed and flailed frantically, but it was no use. I saw a gap in the writhing mass of BloodClan cats, and with a thunderous caterwaul, I broke free and limped away. I had only been weakened and scratched—they're had not been enough room for claw-to-claw combat.

With some relief, I caught a glimpse of Purdy and Boulder fighting. But that was all I saw before something massive bowled into me—I was crushed against something hard—searing pain—and then a fading darkness enveloped me.

_End Flashback_

Ravenwing and Rose were both staring. "What happened after that?" Rose meowed breathlessly. Ravenwing just shook his head. He had no idea Barley had led such an adventurous life in his youth. The fierce and reckless tom Barley had been describing himself as didn't fit the wise old ratter that Ravenwing saw before him.

Barley's eyes were bitter when he meowed: "We were taken as BloodClan cats, into Scourge's territory; but at least Purdy was spared of Scourge. He didn't believe that Purdy was fighting fiercely enough to be 'worthy' of the ranks of BloodClan. He was given the chance to flee—but the rest of us were not so lucky." Barley took a deep breath. "Scourge's territory was misery itself. Misery and despair; fear overwhelmed and controlled everyone and everything. Sickness and death stained the air and reeked through the alleyways. Those without hearts of stone—those who could not bear Scourge's evil, were destroyed; they're hearts were crushed. Some could not stand such overpowering, pure terror...such as Star."

"Star?" Rose interrupted, her voice quavering. "The way you described Star—she seemed so strong and confident in herself. She didn't seem like the type who would crumple under terror, no matter how strong."

Barley shook his head once more. "You don't understand the kind of terror that ruled BloodClan. Living in constant fear, constant despair—not a light of hope to be seen. Death, sickness, darkness—Star died."

Barley paused, obviously lost in his thoughts. Rose touched his shoulder with her tail tip and meowed: "what happened after Star died?" She looked pained, her eyes gleaming with sorrow, and Barley cleared his throat.

"It was too much for Boulder. He had loved Star very much, and with her death, something in him died. Scourge saw this weakness, and he was disgusted by it. He released Boulder, but I couldn't leave. Scourge said that my strength would benefit his Clan. When Boulder left me behind, I could not begrudge him. He was grieving for Star so badly that his mind had fragmented...shattered."

"Why didn't Boulder go back to the Tribe?" Ravenwing meowed eagerly, in a hushed and subdued voice.

Barley put his head on his forepaws and continued. "A few days later, I managed to escape from Scourge in the dead of night. I started to track Boulder—and eventually, I stumbled upon the WindClan moors. Boulder had been plodding along slowly, and I had raced after his scent trail. I managed to catch up to him...

_Flashback_

"Boulder, what are you doing? Where are you going?"

The light was dying from the sky, and I was out of breath when I finally caught up to Boulder. He turned around, not even looking surprised to see me.

"Barley," he rasped hoarsely, "old friend. I knew you would escape."

"Boulder," I panted, "come back to the Tribe!"

He let out a hollow, empty laugh, lifeless. "What's left for me in the Tribe?" he meowed emotionlessly, "Star is gone. I won't go back there. I can't. I will be forever remembered as the cat who led Star to her death. Because of me, Star is dead. I will not go back."

"No, Boulder," I meowed, nudging him with my shoulder, eyes wide. "It would be my fault, if nothing else. I wanted to leave the Tribe, and I let Star come with us. Forgive me, old friend."

There was a silence, so I continued. "What will you do here? What if you meet another Clan like Scourge's? You have no idea what is awaiting you here. If you want to stay, at least let me stay with you."

Boulder's eyes were bleak and confused. "Why?" he meowed flatly.

I flicked my ears with surprise. "Because you're my best friend!" I burst out, "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Boulder suddenly looked moons older than he really was. "The Tribe of Endless Hunting has already taken Star from me," he meowed coldly, "I have nothing more to lose."'

_End Flashback_

"After that, we both became ShadowClan cats for a while, but I soon grew sick of the swamps and marshes, and I missed the winding moors of WindClan," Barley continued, "I left Boulder in ShadowClan, and became a WindClan cat for a little while. Finally, I realized that Clan life was just not for me—so I came to this barn and lived with the former ratter here, Morgan. That's the end of my story, Ravenwing, Rose—now I suggest you go to sleep!"

Ravenwing cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable. "Barley..." he meowed, "thank you for sharing this with us. I had no idea that you had such a sad life before this.

"Yes," Rose put in gently, touching her nose to Barley's shoulder, "thank you. For everything you have done for me."

Barley yawned widely and stretched, arching his black-and-white back. "Come on now, to bed." There was a pause, and then he added: "Ravenwing, my life wasn't all that sad. I had good times, and I had bad times. But the most important thing is, I'm happy here." He smiled. "Rose, you are welcome to stay the night if you would wish. I would very much like to hear your own story."

Rose's dark gray eyes, so kind and warm before, were now guarded and masked and distant. "My own story..." she repeated quietly, her eyes staring at the full moon outside. "My own story...yes..."

_**Author's Note: Well, there you have it—the tenth chapter of "Ravenpaw's Secret"! I hope that was satisfactory! Yes, I understand that Boulder was a loner/rogue that Tigerstar recruited and was not a member of ShadowClan in books one or two. So don't kill me over that...angry mob supplies are waay too sacred to be wasted on me...heh...heh...**_

_More to come_


	11. His Rose

Author's Note: A thousand apologies for the late update! Therefore, this chapter is quite long. And without any further ado…

Chapter Eleven: His Rose

There was a ripple in the shadows as a stealthy black cat crept through the night, keeping low to the ground, as if he were stalking prey. He crept forward quietly, tail twitching back and forth.

Suddenly, he lunged forwards, claws sheathed, bowling into a second cat near the entrance to Barley's Farm. She let out a fierce yowl before grappling with the black-furred tom and wrestling him into the ground, where she glared at him with fierce gray eyes.

Then, those gray eyes blinked recognition. "Ravenwing!" the she-cat purred, her voice strangely accented. "You are back from ThunderClan?"

Ravenwing slipped out from under Rose's grip and gave his disheveled fur a quick licking. "Yes," he winced, "that white tom that we found here was my best friend's nephew, Cloudpaw; he's back with the Clan now."

Rose purred. "That's wonderful; the poor dear, he looked so miserable! I am glad he has found his home again…I know what is like to lose one."

The black-pelted tom paused, his green eyes filled with curiosity; but he did not press on. After all, he had not told Rose his own past. Instead, he meowed: "How are the kits?"

The she-cat's demeanor changed instantly. "I left them with Barley," she purred, "they're quite a—"

Suddenly, a squeal sounded from the entrance to the barn.

"DADDY'S BACK!" shrieked a voice. Two figures streaked through the night, cannoning into Ravenwing and knocking him over into the ground.

"Oomph!" the black tom grumbled, and the two kits giggled.

One was a tom-kit, the other, a she-kit. The she-kit was much like her gentle mother; she was intelligent and quiet and obedient. She had her father's emerald eyes, the color of leaves in Newleaf, and a dark brown pelt, most likely inherited from Rose's tribal ancestors. Ravenwing had named his daughter—her name was Hollypaw.

Hollypaw's brother had Ravenwing's night-black fur and Rose's warm gray eyes—he had been christened Dark Storm Before Dawn; a Tribe cat's name. It was suiting, because Hollypaw had a Clan cat's name.

Ravenwing was disappointed to learn that none of his kits had Rose's pale pink pelt, but he had come to terms that Rose was unique in his heart—from her appearance to the gentle spirit that had so attracted him to her.

"Kits, play nicely," Rose chided gently, her gaze loving as she gave Hollypaw's head a quick lick. The little she-kit squealed and wriggled away to her father.

"You should be asleep by now!" Ravenwing meowed, laughing, rolling his young son over with a sheathed forepaw.

"Barley said we can stay up!" said Storm energetically, wrestling with his father's grip and hissing with the effort.

"He did not!" Hollypaw protested, smiling, batting at her father's black tail. "He fell asleep!"

Storm was quick to shush his honest sister, and Ravenwing mrrowed with laughter, feeling a surge of warmth envelope his heart. He had Rose and Hollypaw and Storm—and Barley would always be there for him, to mentor him and guide him. He was safe from Tigerclaw—he had all he had ever wanted. _Love. A family. _

"Go to bed now," Ravenwing scolded, "I might teach you how to catch rat tomorrow if you fall asleep right away."

Storm's eyes lit up, and he scrambled to his paws and dashed away, calling: "Good night Father, Mother!"

Hollypaw followed more slowly; more dignified, after giving both her parents a loving lick.

The two sat in silence for a while, their fur pressed close together, their eyes illuminated in the moonlight that gently shafted down.

Rose settled back onto her haunches and Ravenwing lying on the ground, grooming his disheveled fur.

"I never knew you were so good with kits," Rose remarked.

Ravenwing laughed. "Me either. You've taught them well, Rose. Hollypaw is beautiful and kind-hearted and intelligent—just like you.

Rose smiled. "And Storm is wild and mischievous and ambitious; like you!"

_Ambitious._

The black tom froze and his breath caught in his throat. There was a long silence, and then Ravenwing spoke quietly.

"No," he meowed softly, looking off into the dark night sky, "not ambitious."

The word immediately brought back memories of Tigerclaw, the tabby deputy that had put a dark cloud over his time in ThunderClan. Tigerclaw proved he was willing to kill for the sake of his ambition. He was nothing like Tigerclaw—and neither was Storm. With a pang, he realized that he was related to Tigerclaw, and so was both his kits. If Storm had shown any ambition, it would have been from Tigerclaw.

Rose pressed comfortingly against his side. "Ravenwing, I'm sorry," she murmured quietly, her gray eyes warm and rueful.

"No," he said, his voice suddenly ragged. "It's not you."

The she-cat looked vague and unsure. "Will you tell me about it?"

He paused, eyes closed, content to breathe in the gentle scent of rose on Rose's fur. "No…not until you tell me about your own past first."

The reaction Ravenwing got was unexpected and shocking. Rose stiffened and drew away, her beautiful gray eyes clouding over to an inky black, full of remorse and grief and bitter hatred. When she spoke, her voice was as quiet as the whispering of the wind. "Ravenwing…the past is the past."

Ravenwing felt hurt by the she-cat's reaction. "But I'm your mate," he protested, "you should be able to tell me anything. Rose—whatever happened in your past, it wouldn't effect what I think of you!"

Rose was silent for the longest time, staring into the distance stiff. Ravenwing was tense as well, waiting eagerly and anxiously for an answer. He had no idea how much time passed before the she-cat meowed: "My past…"

_flashback_

"Mamma! Mamma!"

A kit's terrified shrieks pierced through the night air and echoed off the stonewalls, her pale gray eyes wide and horrified, her chest heaving as she fought for breath. Pure terror gripped her heart with icy fingers, and she opened her maw again and again to let out a heartrending wail.

"Rose! Rose!"

A deep male voice tried to get through to the small kit, his voice soothing, and gentle. "Rose, come back!"

Rose had gone into another world, far away, a world without pain—a world that existed only in her own mind. A world in which her mother had not died because of her.

A flash of light brown tabby fur streaked through the corner of Rose's vision and the next thing she knew, she was enveloped in warmth…and she drooped off to sleep.

xxx

An oddly colored kit was curled in a warm nest, her flanks twitching and shuddering as if she was suffering from a nightmare. Her eyes danced from behind her eyelids, and she let out a whimper every once in a while.

The brown tabby cat that had soothed Rose last night stood in the distance, her eyes gazing over her young sister with fear. Her brother stood by her side, shaking his head.

"She took it so hard last night," he meowed quietly, his eyes dark and grieved.

The brown she-cat sighed. "She was so young…" she raised her gaze to her brother, her eyes challenging. "She's only three moons old, Talon! Don't you think you would be upset if our mother died when you were _three moons old_?"

Talon narrowed his dark eyes. "Brook…I never said that she didn't have the right to be upset. But I worry about her. Last night…Brook, last night it was as if she wasn't even Rose. She was someone else, a complete and total stranger. She blanked out. I thought she would kill herself! She was overwrought…" the tom's words trailed off, and he shuddered.

Brook's tail twitched. "This is all Sharptooth's fault. Without him, Mamma would be alive." Her eyes filled with tears, betraying that she was not yet mature enough to pretend to not care.

Her brother was more emotionless, but his legs stiffened. "We should go and wake her. It looks like she's having a nightmare."

Talon and Brook walked over to the pale sleeping shape—they both loved their little sister very much, because of her peculiar coat. Rose had fur the color of the palest pink rose, and the warmest, kindest gray eyes.

It was Brook that nudged their younger sister awake. Talon was the oldest—she was the middle child. "Good morning, Rose," she murmured quietly, curling her slim frame around the tiny kit protectively.

Rose blinked awake her pretty gray eyes, bleary with sleep. "Where's Mamma?" she meowed groggily, shaking her head and twitching her ears.

Brook's breath caught in her throat. "Rose…Mamma is dead. I am so very sorry."

The tiny kit stiffened suddenly, then relaxed and slumped. "Then," she meowed tremulously, staring at her older sister with those warm gray eyes, "it was…not a nightmare? It was not…a dream? Mamma…is dead?"

Brook closed her eyes and lowered her head to the ground. "It is not your fault, dearest Rose. Sharptooth took her; she tried to save you. Mamma loved you so much…more than all the rest of us. You were Mamma's little Rose."

Talon's eyes flickered with emotion and he leaned down to touch his nose to his little sister's. "Brook is right," he meowed quietly, voice low, "Mamma loved you best of all."

"But because of me," the tiny kit whimpered piteously, "Mamma isn't here anymore. I wish…I had died instead," she meowed miserably, "then Mamma would be here, right? Where is she now?"

Brook's words were quiet and gentle. "Mamma is with the Tribe of Endless Hunting. You can see her when the pools are full in the Cave of Pointed Stones. One day, Rose, you will see her again."

Her gray eyes clouded over. "I want to see Mamma now," she murmured quietly, "I just want to see her so I can so bye!" Her big, innocent eyes turned to her brother. "Talon, when will I see Mamma again?"

The tom looked away. "Some day."

_End flashback_

"After Mamma died, more cats started to be taken by Sharptooth, a hideous mountain lion that preyed upon us. Our lives were full of fear, and we were afraid of our own land. We were the prey now; eagles were not our only threat.

"Stoneteller, the 'leader' of the Tribe of Rushing Water, sent out cats to save us from Sharptooth. They were supposed to hunt him down and kill them—he sent out cats that were brave and swift and strong beyond measure. One of them was my brother, Talon.

"I desperately tried to bargain with Stoneteller to let me go instead. Mamma would never forgive me if I took her son's life—after all, I had already taken hers. Brook begged as well, but Stoneteller stood firm. Brook had to feed the Tribe, and I had to defend it as well as I could. Talon was the one who had to go and do this.

"Talon came back a quarter moon later—half the group had been ravaged, and some did not come back at all, including Sun of Radiant Light, Mamma's best friend. Stoneteller was furious. He ordered them to come back with Sharptooth's hide or not at all. They were forced to leave again—and that was the last Brook or I saw of Talon."

Ravenwing paused, emerald eyes full of remorse and shock. He touched his nose to hers and instantly forgot his own dark past for Rose's.

"Rose…" he murmured quietly, then trailed off. "You ran away directly after Stoneteller refused to bring back Talon?"

The she-cat looked defiant. "Yes," she meowed, without a trace of remorse. "And I wasn't sorry to leave it behind." Her demeanor softened. "I found you…Ravenwing, this place is all I could ever ask for. Barley, a wonderful friend and mentor, the two most perfect kits in the world, a place to call home…and the most wonderful mate I could ever have."

The black tom swallowed hard. "I will never let anything happen to you, Rose. I promise."

_Rose. She was his Rose._

But not for much longer.

_**End Note: Oooh, foreshadowing! Something terrible is going to happen to Rose…but no more of that yet. I hope you enjoyed!**_

_More to come…_


	12. Heartfelt Goodbye

_Author's Note: By far the longest of all, I give you the twelfth chapter! Will Rose be taken away from Ravenwing? Are they truly safe from Tigerclaw? Will Rose ever see her family again? Am I asking too many questions? Yes! No! No! Yes! (The answers to the above questions in sequential order :) ) And without further ado…_

Chapter Twelve: A Heartfelt Goodbye

Sunlight filtered through the window of Barley's Farm, shafting down on the haystacks below where two figures slept, their pelts brushing. One was a dark black tom, the other a peculiarly colored she-cat. Ravenwing and Rose.

It was Rose that stirred first, her head lifting and her inquisitive gray eyes adjusting to the bright sunlight. She yawned, and then Ravenwing stirred, stretching out his tired muscles.

"Good morning," he mumbled, getting ready to fall back to sleep.

Rose laughed and nudged the black tom's shoulder, but she was obviously preparing to tell him something. Ravenwing noticed.

"Well, let's get on with it," he meowed, sounding bemused, "what do you have to tell me?"

Rose gave a timid smile, then meowed: "Ravenwing…I think you should take Hollypaw with you to see ThunderClan."

The tom cringed. 'Tigerclaw…' he thought darkly. 'Great StarClan, I don't need to think about that this early in the morning…do I?'

"Why the sudden interest?" he meowed instead, tentatively.

Rose shifted uncomfortably atop the scratchy hay, allowing the sunlight to illuminate her pale gray eyes. "I want to take Storm with me to see the Tribe…and I thought it would be fair if you took Hollypaw with you to see ThunderClan. Besides, Storm deserves to see the place where I came from!"

"And Hollypaw doesn't?" Ravenwing challenged, trying to keep a civil tone, knowing that they were near an argument. He and Rose had never argued about anything serious before.

"Well, I just thought Storm might want to come with me to the Tribe of Rushing Water because he has a Tribe cat's name, and I thought Hollypaw would rather go to you to the Clan since she has a warrior's name."'

"An apprentices' name," Ravenwing corrected stubbornly. "Why do you want to split up the family? Rose, I think Hollypaw and I should also go with you. You could never travel the mountains alone in this weather."

"Oh, I couldn't, could I?" Rose replied tartly, getting to her paws. "You have no idea what I experienced in my life, Ravenwing, and I'm stronger than you think. What do you know about being terrorized by a monster since kithood?"

Her words infuriated the black tom, and he sprang to his paws, tail twitching. '_Tigerclaw!'_

"You haven't been through half the things I have!" he yowled. "I had a life in a Clan before this, and it was all about fights over territory. You don't even know why I ran away from there!"

"Does it matter?" Rose retorted scathingly. "If you want to come, you should've asked! You pretend to be tough and all that, but what do you know about seeing a cat being murdered before your eyes?"

'_Redtail!' _Ravenwing thought, 'Rose and I are more alike then I thought!'

"I've seen that," he retorted furiously, "I just wanted to protect you! I don't want anything bad to happen to you again. Like losing someone close to you!"

"You think Storm would die if he came with me?" Rose meowed furiously. "I can protect the ones I love!"

"Oh really?" he snapped angrily. "What about when you landed on my doorstep, weak and alone? You needed help then."

He brushed past Rose and out of the barn, tail lashing angrily.

"Where are you going?" Rose yowled, frustrated.

"To catch rats!" Ravenwing nearly screamed back in response. He disappeared behind the back of the barn and was gone.

xxx

"Mother, where's Daddy? He promised he would teach me how to catch rats today," Storm meowed reproachfully, fixing his mother with a baleful look in his gray eyes.

"Yes, where _is _Ravenwing?" Barley meowed placidly, finishing a plump mouse in a single swallow.

"It's not like Daddy to miss breakfast," Hollypaw added, sounding deeply amused.

Rose looked from one pair of inquisitive eyes to another and finally meowed: "I don't know—he was gone when I woke up."

"Let's go find him!" Storm yelped.

"Well, I guess we could practice our tracking techniques," Hollypaw meowed hopefully, sending an eager glance at Rose.

"Go ahead, scat!" Barley laughed, waving them off with a forepaw.

The two kits scampered out of view, yelping and giggling excitedly, and Barley meowed: "Now. What really happened? Did you fight?"

"Maybe," Rose muttered ungraciously. "I just wanted to take Storm to see my homeland, and Ravenwing thought I was too weak to make it there! He thought Storm might die if he let me go with him. He has no idea what it's like to see someone murdered before your eyes, or to be terrorized all through your life!"

"I daresay he has," Barley replied simply, looking grave.

"What?"

The old loner told Rose about a cat named Tigerclaw, ambitious and bloodthirsty; who turned out to be a murderer and Ravenwing's former mentor. When he had finished, Rose looked horrified.

"I had no idea a cat could be so evil," she meowed guiltily, shuffling off.

"So you understand why Ravenwing had gotten so mad?" Barley meowed. "You both had very difficult lives before you came here."

'We're more alike than I thought,' Rose thought miserably. "Should I go after him?"

"No," Barley replied, "wait for him to come home."

Rose let out a grateful sigh. "What would I do without you, Barley?" she laughed.

Barley opened his mouth, probably to explain what exactly would happen if he weren't there, but Rose laughed and swished her tail over his mouth. "That was a rhetorical question," she chuckled.

xxx

Rose sat at the edge of the barn entrance with her tail wrapped around her paws, her fur neatly groomed, and her eyes bright. Ravenwing, Storm, and Hollypaw had not yet come back, but when they did, Rose would surely apologize to the black tom and make things better. She hated it when they fought—and she silently vowed never to again.

Soon, a dark shape could be seen slipping through the shadows, and bright emerald eyes caught Rose's attention.

She waited for him to approach, her head held high and her body poised. "Ravenwing?" she meowed softly.

"Yes", came the gruff reply.

"Barley told me about Tigerclaw," she replied softly, slightly put off by the response she had received.

"Oh", came the short answer.

Rose paused, then meowed; "Ravenwing, I really am sorry for what I said earlier. I was hoping you would forgive me."

She waited tensely; she had an apology rejected before, and it had left her feeling dejected and hurt.

"Maybe I overreacted," Ravenwing replied, his voice kinder now. "I was just so hurt that you wanted us to go our separate ways. I was so afraid that I might never see you or Storm again if we split up. Some cat might get to me, or an eagle could attack you…" he trailed off. "I'm sorry Rose."

The she-cat let out a soft purr and touched her nose to his. "Now we hold no secrets from each other, right?" she meowed.

Ravenwing smiled softly. "Right," he agreed.

There was a pause, then they simultaneously meowed: "Where are Storm and Hollypaw?"

They froze.

"I thought they were with you!" Rose meowed breathlessly.

"With me?" Ravenwing exclaimed. "But they were with you this morning."

"Yes, but Barley gave them permission to go and track you down so they could practice your skills! Haven't you caught their scent trails when you were out ratting?"

"Not at all," Ravenwing replied anxiously. "We should go looking for them."

"What do you think happened to them?" Rose cried out, her gray eyes welling with emotion. "What if some badger or fox took them? What if it was—Ravenwing, what if it was an eagle?"

"Don't talk like that," he meowed soothingly. "Rose, you _stay here_. I'll go looking for them. You don't know WindClan territory like I do, and the WindClan cats might get angry if they see you on their territory. They know me—they wouldn't attack me without interrogating me first."

Rose started to pace with apprehension, but she nodded. "All right…" she meowed quietly. "But please, be careful! If it _was _a fox or a badger…" she swallowed hard. "I don't want to lose you too, Ravenwing," she finished.

Without another word, he slipped into the shadows, merely an inky black blurr amongst the gloom of the night.

xxx

Ravenwing raced across the barn, his fur pressed down to his pelt, his eyes narrowed with fear. He paused to sniff the air, but his own fear-scent was drowning everything else out. He forced himself to calm down. Even though Hollypaw and Storm were still young, he and Rose had taught them a few fighting moves. Together, they should be able to handle a badger…

He closed his eyes and let out a relaxing sigh, then opened his mouth to taste the air. With a jolt of fear and excitement, he caught a whiff of Hollypaw's gentle and soothing scent. It came from the WindClan moors; it had drifted towards him in the wind.

His heart hammering with panic, he tore towards the moors, praying to StarClan. 'Please StarClan, let them be safe, please, StarClan, let them be safe!'

Their scent grew stronger and stronger until the scent of Hollypaw and Storm was clear in the air. And so was the stench of panic. Fighting down his rising fear, he stopped once more to carefully sniff the air. They were near!

Racing forwards, his right forepaw suddenly stumbled over something, and he let out a yelp as he went crashing down to the ground. Sore and shocked, he got to his paws and strained his green eyes in the darkness.

Then, he let out a heart-shattering yowl.

Before him, body strewn out across a patch of barley, was an ominously still shape. It was a cat—young, with muscular limbs and a black pelt. Ravenwing knew that if the cat's eyes were opened, they would have been steel gray.

_Storm_.

"Storm! No!" Ravenwing screeched, rearing up on his hindlegs and yowling his grief to the dark skies. "Storm! StarClan, no!"

The black tom let out a piercing cry and looked around wildly—was Hollypaw here too? He prayed that he would find her here; but he knew that if he did, she would be dead as well. Dread engulfed his frame and he touched his nose to his son's still black fur. "Storm…oh no…"

He sat back on his haunches and closed his eyes, letting a tear trickle down from his eyes down his cheek. Storm was dead…Storm, his firstborn, so energetic and confident and carefree. Storm was dead. He sat there for the longest time, until the moon crept at its peak in the sky. He grew stone cold, but felt nothing. When he finally stirred, his muscles ached with fatigue, so he knew he had been sitting there for a long time.

Suddenly, the breeze shifted, and with it came a familiar scent.

But not a welcoming, familiar scent.

xxx

Ravenwing wheeled around, dreading what he would see. He became face-to-face with a dark tabby with a pair of gleaming amber eyes. Amber eyes that Ravenwing knew all too well.

_Tigerclaw!_

Ravenwing drew back with shock and he drew his lips back in a snarl. "Tigerclaw!" he spat. "You did this!"

The tom was poised and elegant, his muscles rippling under his dark tabby fur, his amber eyes gleaming with a sort of pleasure at the pain he had caused his former apprentice.

"Did what?" he meowed innocently, his lips also drawing back to reveal teeth as sharp as bramble thorns.

"You killed him!" Ravenwing meowed furiously. "You killed Storm!"

"Storm?" Tigerclaw replied gleefully, his amber eyes narrowing with delight. "You mean this disgusting ball of black fur? My, my Ravenpaw, he looks an awful lot like you, doesn't he? I mean, he _did_."

Grief and rage twisted his features and he meowed: "Where is Hollypaw?" Fear and dread clutched as his heart, gripping it with icy fingers.

"Hollypaw…Hollypaw," Tigerclaw meowed, pretending to be thinking hard. "That she-cat with the brown fur and green eyes? Green eyes like yours, Ravenpaw," he added, though it was not in any way meant to be a compliment.

"That's Ravenwing to you," he spat angrily, "where is she? What did you do with her?"

"I'm not sure I quite remember," Tigerclaw replied innocently. "Were you so miserable about your apprentice status that you chose your _own _warrior name?" he taunted. "How pathetic is that!"

Ravenwing quelled the urge to unsheathe his claws and attack the tom. He had to where Hollypaw was. "I received my warrior name in the presence of StarClan warriors," he spat venomously, drawing himself up to his full height, green eyes bright with emotion. "Where is Hollypaw?"

Tigerclaw let out a dramatic sigh. "She'll probably die in a few moments anyways. Your precious son was trying to save her, and was killed. Bravery…very brave, that tom is. I pity that he couldn't join me. I admired him so. But of course, he was stupid…and conceited. He thought he could defeat me. Arrogance…such careless arrogance."

Ravenwing growled low in his throat, green eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't talk about my family like that," he spat. "_Where is Hollypaw?_"

The tabby tom looked surprised at the venom Ravenwing had in his voice. "She's over there," he admitted finally, gesturing with his tail towards a bare patch a few foxlengths off.

He snarled with fury. "Tigerclaw, you killed my kits…but you will never harm another cat again! I defeated you once…I can surely defeat you again."

Fueled with rage, he sprang at his former mentor with unsheathed claws, his heart burning for revenge—for Hollypaw and Storm, slaughtered cruelly by his old enemy, and for every other cat that had died for the sake of Tigerclaw's evil. Tigerclaw would never again harm another cat.

Tigerclaw had not anticipated the attack, and Ravenwing managed to pin him down. However, Tigerclaw quickly twisted over and smashed the black tom against the ground before rolling away to safety.

Ravenwing leapt to his paws and tore after his enemy, but Tigerclaw was quick. He sprang one way and that, and Ravenwing was exhausted by the time he caught Tigerclaw by the shoulders and forced him to the ground.

"You are a traitor to the warrior code," Ravenwing snarled into Tigerclaw's ear, his emerald eyes burning with a green fire.

Tigerclaw let out a mirthless laugh. "You cannot kill me, Ravenwing," he chuckled, "you are much too weak. Besides, don't you want to know how I stumbled upon your precious kits?"

"All I know is that you killed Storm and Hollypaw is dying as we speak!" Ravenwing spat. "You will die today, Tigerclaw!"

With those valiant words, he unsheathed his claws and raised his paw high above his enemy's throat. "You will die, Tigerclaw," he spat, "and StarClan will not receive you."

And he brought his paw crashing down.

xxx

As Ravenwing stared down at the limp body of his most malevolent enemy, there was nothing in his emerald eyes but sorrow. Sorrow for the lives that Tigerclaw had stolen, especially Storm's and Hollypaw's. And sorrow that Tigerclaw was dead. The tabby was a _great _warrior. He was powerful and strong and intelligent. He would've become a great leader if he hadn't turned treacherous.

The black tom stared up at the half moon, his eyes brimming with a pool of tears he refused to shed. How was he going to tell this to Rose? Both Hollypaw and Storm were dead. He thought he could protect them! But no; he could not even save the ones he cared for.

He touched his nose to Storm's pelt one more time and padded over to Hollypaw, feeling dread creep up to him. He would have to ask Rose to bring back Storm's body—he had to bring Hollypaw home.

He felt a wail rise up in his throat when he caught a glimpse of Hollypaw—her beautiful, dappled brown fur mangled and torn. He let out a sigh and dropped his head, feeling the ground sway before him. He glanced up, trying to steel himself to approach his slain daughter.

What he saw before him made him give off an ear-splitting yowl. Hollypaw…she was alive? He heard a rasp come from her throat, and he broke out of his trance.

"Hollypaw!" he meowed, his voice high-pitched with urgency. "Hollypaw?" He gasped when he caught sight of her face—scarred and bloody, Hollypaw would never be the beauty she was before. "Hollypaw, can you hear me? It's Ravenwing!"

Foggy green eyes blinked open. "Fa…ther…" she croaked.

Ravenwing nearly collapsed with relief. "Oh Hollypaw," he breathed, "I'm here—I'll get you home." Tears spilt from his emerald eyes. "Don't worry. I've got you now. You're safe. I…" he trailed off. "I'll never let anything happen to you again. Please forgive me."

But Hollypaw had already drifted off into an uneasy sleep, hanging in the balance of life and dead by a thread. Ravenwing knew how close his daughter was to slipping to StarClan.

Sinking his teeth into Hollypaw's scruff, he walked as quickly as he could towards Barley's barn, feeling a rising horror that he was abandoning Storm.

'I'm not abandoning him…' he thought uneasily.

After what seemed like moons, he saw the faint outline of his home. "Don't worry Hollypaw, we're almost home," he mumbled, through a mouthful of dappled brown fur. He gently set his daughter down next to the barn entrance and raced inside the warm barn, his emerald eyes wildly scanning the hay stacks for Rose and Barley.

A scream tore from his throat as he saw a limp form spread across the floor of the barn. Rose! No! But how did this happen? And where was Barley?

He raced across the barn and skidded to a halt beside Rose, his heart cracking. "Rose! Rose!" he wailed, his tail lashing. "Please…no!"

"Ravenwing?" a hoarse croak came from her mouth, her pale gray eyes fluttering open, pale and full of pain.

Ravenwing crouched over the pale pink she-cat, into her deep gray eyes, full of kindness and brimming with unconditional love. "Ravenwing…you came," she purred out, her voice catching in her throat as the tears began to fall.

The black tom looked away roughly. "Of course I came," he meowed strongly, his voice tremulous, his emerald eyes pained. "Rose…I promised I would never let anything happen to you…I won't ever break that promise."

"Ravenwing." The name came as the quietest of whispers—quieter than the leaves rustling in the breeze, quieter than the morning gale caressing the treetops, and as soothing as the waves lapping against the shore. In that word, Rose managed to convey every single bit of affection and love she had for him. But it wasn't enough. It could never be enough. "You were the best thing that ever happened to me. Running away from the Tribe…letting my mother get killed…leaving my family—I would do it all over again just to see you."

His breath came in gasps now, and his heart was too full to say anything. He couldn't whisper her name. He couldn't even tell her that he loved her. And that was all she wanted to hear.

"I will always be with you now," she breathed quietly, her eyes fluttering to a close—like the wings of a dying bird. "StarClan or the Tribe…they've granted me my one wish…to always be with you. Now you must promise me one more thing." Her voice dwindled off, than came back stronger than ever.

"Never let the sorrow you feel crowd out the joy of living in this world," she said softly, relaxing, "Ravenwing, there are so many more precious things in this world…I want you to see everything and anything you can. Cherish every memory…Ravenwing…promise me this."

She shifted and her pale gray eyes looked into his emerald ones. "In Leaf Fall, when the leaves of all the trees turn scarlet amber and beautiful gold, when they drift down from their branches and encircle you in a fiery crown…that'll be me, Ravenwing." Her voice came quieter now, and her vision swam before her pale gray eyes. "In leafbare, when things seem bleak and dark…keep hope. There is always hope. And there are always choices. In newleaf, when the spring buds open and bloom into beautiful flowers…you'll always see a trace of me somewhere."

Ravenwing bowed his head, his shoulders shaking as he tried to stop the sobs from coming from his maw. He was too overcome for words. He tried to say something—anything—but he couldn't.

"Ravenwing…do you love me?"

The tom could only nod furiously, tears flowing freely.

"Can…I hear…I want to hear you say it…one last time…Ravenwing…I love you."

A sob tore from the black tom's throat, and his emerald eyes veiled over with grief and rage. He was trembling violently, his tail lashing, and he felt as if he had turned to stone. He let out a strangling noise—he had to tell her that he loved her…but he couldn't speak. A croak came from his throat, and he formed the words with his mouth: 'I love you Rose.'

But she was already gone.

_**End Note: shakes head sadly I think that was the saddest thing I've ever written. Be sure to leave a nice, long review, because my exams are looming up before me, and it'll really be a struggle to update my stories :( And here's a little hint for Chapter 13…**_

_**Tigerclaw isn't dead. And he killed Rose. How? I couldn't possibly reveal that!**_

_More to come…_


	13. Holly's Road, Raven's End

_Author's Note: Thank you, everyone for your touching reviews! I'm sorry I made some of you cry, but I was exceptionably pleased that I touched people like that! Extra, extra, extra thanks and a hug to Huntress: dearest, truest friend, talented author, and remarkable editor. (Refuse this bit of praise and I swear by StarClan I'll claw your ears off!). And thanks to Sleets, for all your encouraging reviews! _ Chapter Thirteen: Holly's Road, Ravenwing's End 

Ravenwing had always said that Hollypaw had a guardian angel watching over her from StarClan. After she had been brutally tortured by Tigerclaw, everyone had given up on her—Ravenwing, who had resigned himself to the death of his daughter, and Barley, who knew of no herb to save her. Even the WindClan medicine cat, who had been brought to the barn to help, had informed Ravenwing that Hollypaw was surely going to die.

But Rose wasn't about to let her daughter join her that quickly. She had so many things left to die in life! So when Ravenwing had padded back to the barn, already having given up on his daughter, he had been stunned to see Hollypaw alive and well, with a serene smile on her face.

But there was one thing even StarClan could not fix.

The young she-cat had been inches away from death, and even StarClan could not make it so she could keep her memory. For after Tigerclaw had wounded the young she-cat, the trauma had wiped her memory clean.

Many moons had passed since Hollypaw had lost her mother and brother, and from them on, it was just Barley, Ravenwing, and his daughter. The old black tom lavished such attention on his daughter that Hollypaw could have been considered spoilt—but the young she-cat had grown greatly since we have last seen her, and she had the spirit of her wise and gentle mother.

Hollypaw was no longer the quiet, shy she-cat with the tranquil green eyes and a pelt of glossy brown—she was changed. She carried herself with dignity and elegance, with grace. Her pelt was dappled with a hundred shades of brown—copper, chocolate, and tawny, and her muscles rippled under her fur. But her eyes were the most changed of all.

She had always had beautiful, beautiful eyes. Much like her father's, but gentler, and softer. In her eyes was an expression that saddened the hearts of all, although the look in her eyes itself was not sad. It was the gaze of a shattered spirit that hid itself behind beauty—there was hope in those eyes, always hope. Although Hollypaw knew that things could never again go back to the way they were, she was always thinking: "Maybe, maybe, maybe", and those hopeful green eyes nearly broke Ravenwing's heart, for had given his daughter everything he had, but not the one thing she wanted. Rose and Storm.

Hollypaw also yearned for something else—freedom. Being snared here, spending her days idly while catching rats—was torture to her social nature. But Hollypaw seldom complained.

"Barley?" she meowed, one summer morning. She was perched atop a bale of hay, looking much like Rose with a ray of sunshine highlighting her pretty green eyes.

"Yes?" came the still-tired remark. The old black-and-white tom was basking in the glory of the sun, stretched out on the ground.

"Do you think I'll ever be good enough to bear a warrior's name?" she meowed wistfully, ever serene.

"Of course you are good enough!" Barley protested, getting to his paws and settling back on his haunches. "The only reason you have not received a warrior name by now is because neither I nor your father have the right to carry out a warrior ceremony."

"I suppose," Hollypaw replied hopefully, getting to her paws as well and leaping from one hay bale to another. "Maybe one day." There was a pause, which was peaceful for Hollypaw and uncomfortable for Barley.

"Will you…Barley, please, will you tell me more…about my mother and brother?" She hesitated, then meowed: "You've known them for so much longer than I have in the first place, and I can't even remember them." There was barely a trace of bitterness in her voice as she added: "I hate to upset father with the fact I can't remember my own family…"

With a heavy heart, Barley met the young she-cat's gaze gently. "Rose was very beautiful, on the inside and the outside. You have her spirit, Hollypaw. She was always gentle and kind and wise beyond her years." He let out a great sigh. "By StarClan, your father misses her very much."

"And Storm?" Hollypaw persisted, trying to imagine this beautiful she-cat, her mother.

Barley let out a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Your brother was quite a pawful; wild, mischievous, with a knack for getting into trouble. He would get into scrapes sometimes!"

Hollypaw smiled. "I wish I could remember them," she meowed softly, not betraying her anger or frustration. Hollypaw had learned self-control.

Barley was eager to change the subject. "You know, if you want a warrior name that badly, you should do what your father did."

"What did he do?" Hollypaw meowed eagerly, intrigued.

Barley laughed once more. "He snuck off to the Moonstone himself, and when he came back, he had his warrior name. I suggest going if you're desperate…" Barley padded over to the she-cat and leaned over closely. "Storm was always the mischievous one, but I'm sure you must have inherited some trouble-making yourself," he meowed. Then, the old tom made his roundabout insinuations clear when he meowed: "Here are the directions to the Moonstone…"

xxx

As Hollypaw lay beside the glowing Moonstone, she put her head on her forepaws and tried to collect her thoughts about her family. She could remember nothing—there was a big gaping hole in her memory, and she hated herself for not being able to reach her memories.

All her father and Barley had told her was that she once had a brother and a mother, but they had been hit on the Thunderpath long before. She had rushed out to save them, and a monster had given her a glancing blow to the head. It didn't exactly fit with the three flashes that Hollypaw _did _remember, however.

The first thing she remembered was a pair of warm, gray eyes and a serene face smiling down at her, along with the comforting scent of rose. It was her mother, Barley had explained. She remembered a mischievous voice calling: "Come on Hollypaw, let's go find father!" And the most vivid memory of all—she recalled a pair of menacing amber eyes and a dark tabby pelt. Her dreams were haunted by this cat, yet neither Barley nor her father claimed to know him. Somehow, Hollypaw knew that he was not just a figment of her imagination. He was real.

As the days wore by, it grew harder and harder to remember Rose and Storm. Her mother's comforting scent, her brother's teasing mew; the more she tried to remember, the harder it become. Angry tears formed in her eyes, and because she was alone, she allowed herself the ecstasy of letting them fall. Her eyes fluttered to a close, and she let out a sigh, letting the darkness wash over her.

When she resigned herself to opening her eyes once more, she was in a totally different place. Astounded, she got to her paws and looked around wildly—there were a great many trees surrounding her, and rocks dappled the clearing. The moon shone down upon her, turning the leaves the color of starlight. Suddenly, there was a voice.

"Greetings, Hollypaw, daughter of Ravenwing, son of Darkheart."

Hollypaw spun around and turned face-to-face with a majestic blue-gray she-cat with eyes as clear and dark as chips of sapphire.

"Who are you?" Hollypaw meowed quietly, her voice echoing around the clearing eerily.

"She is Bluestar, leader of your father's former Clan, ThunderClan," another voice replied, and a black-furred tom padded out from the trees, joining Bluestar on her left side.

"Who are _you_?" Hollypaw asked, gesturing with her tail towards the black tom. He looked very much like Ravenwing, but with different colored eyes.

"I am Darkheart, your grandsire," he growled quietly. A ginger-and-white she-cat joined the duo on Bluestar's right side. "And I am Whitefeather, Ravenwing's sister," she meowed in her calm and cheery voice.

From directly behind her came two new voices. A brilliant golden she-cat with brown paws and brown eyes meowed: "I am Sun of Radiant Light, Rose's mother," she meowed in a quiet and kind voice. There was compassion and love in her bright hazel eyes that filled Hollypaw with warmth. She was seeing the family she had never known.

"And I am Snow that Falls from Pale Sky," a second she-cat meowed. She was a beautiful white-gray she-cat with pale blue eyes and a white tipped tail. "I am the former Stoneteller of the Tribe of Rushing Water, but now I and Sun walk the paths of the sky in the Tribe of Endless Hunting. Welcome, Hollypaw."

"And greetings from us as well," Bluestar meowed, in her quiet and serene voice. "Welcome from StarClan. We were former ThunderClan warriors, but now we race through the skies as StarClan cats."

"But I thought you walked different skies," Hollypaw meowed curiously, quoting the words of her father.

"The Tribe cats are welcome guests here tonight, Hollypaw," Bluestar chastised.

"And we thank you," Snow meowed kindly, "however, our time here is short. We are needed in our own skies."

"Come here," Whitefeather meowed quietly, gesturing with her tail towards a pool of water at the edge of the forest. Hollypaw hadn't noticed it before.

"But…I have only come here for my warrior ceremony," Hollypaw meowed humbly.

"And I suppose you assumed we would just give you one," Darkheart meowed irritably. Hollypaw looked abashed. "But—"

"Your Father did a great many deeds in his life and has suffered how one cat should never suffer," Sun meowed soothingly. "But you have yet to do something notable; be patient! All things come to those who wait for them. You have a great and almost endless path before you, Hollypaw. Now, _look _into the pool."

Much abashed, Hollypaw peered into the pool…and saw nothing. Reeling back with shock, she gasped. She saw nothing! Not a reflection…she glanced at Sun for help, but it was Bluestar that meowed: "This is a very sacred place, Hollypaw. When you look into this pool, you will see fleeting images that _will _come to pass in the future. What you see could change you forever. Are you willing to accept such responsibility?"

"Yes!" Hollypaw meowed eagerly.

The gathered cats all smiled. In unison, they meowed: "Then look, and truly see…"

xxx

_A dark gray cat with yellow eyes was crouched low in a Twoleg nest, perched by the windowsill, gazing out of the window with listless and hopeless eyes, eyes filled with longing. The image of a handsome tom with clear olive eyes and a sleek silvery pelt, with a nick in his left ear and a crooked, mischievous smile on his face. The picture of a beautiful silver she-cat with darker stripes and dark sapphire eyes, smiling up at her with a friendly look in her blue orbs. The image of a snowy mountain._

xxx

Then, the pool stilled.

"What…who did I see?" Hollypaw meowed, her meow hushed. "Who were those cats?"

Bluestar hesitated, but Snow meowed: "Time will tell all. You will meet these cats, Hollypaw, but it is not they that will come to you, it is you who will come to them."

"Then should I seek these cats out?" Hollypaw cried anxiously.

"We have revealed too much already," Bluestar meowed, casting a disapproving glance at Snow but saying nothing. "Go with the blessings of StarClan."

"And the blessings of the Tribe of Endless Hunting," Snow meowed.

As the cats began to fade away from her vision, all five cats meowed in unison: "When a realistic approach fails, look upon your heart. You will find answers you wouldn't find elsewhere."

Terrified by the darkness taking over her eyesight, Hollypaw sank to the ground, eyes squeezed shut. It was only after she had awoken did she realize that she had been so muddled, she hadn't asked for Rose or Storm.

xxx

Back at the farm, Hollypaw was steeling herself to break her father's heart. She rehearsed her speech over and over in her mind. 'Father, I'm leaving. I've got to find my own path…' No, that wasn't it! 'Father, I love you, but I'm going away, StarClan told me what I need to do…' No, that wasn't it either.

Hollypaw stopped short before the barn entrance and meowed: "All right. I can do this. I'll just walk up to father and say—"

"Hollypaw? Who in StarClan are you talking to back there, Hollypaw?" a voice interrupted. Hollypaw whirled around and blushed deeply. Ravenwing!

"N-no one. What are you doing here?" Hollypaw sputtered.

Ravenwing looked deeply amused. "I live here, remember?" he laughed.

"Well, yes," Hollypaw meowed, regaining her composure.

"Barley told me about what you went to do," he continued kindly. "Did you get your warrior name?" A wistful look came to his emerald eyes. "Did you see your mother?"

Although Hollypaw didn't know it due to the gap in her memory, Ravenwing had changed greatly through the moons after Rose's death. He had once been a spirited, lively young tom with a thirst for adventure. Of course, even Ravenwing could not escape the ravages of time. He was older, wasn't as spry as he used to be me, and his muzzle was tinged with silver But his eyes had changed, as had his daughter's. They were the eyes of one who had lost something he had loved. They were subdued, resigned. They didn't have any luster, not a sparkle of joy.

Hollypaw looked away uncomfortably. "Father…I have not received a warrior name. StarClan does not think I am worthy yet." Seeing that her father was going to interrupt, she meowed: "Father, I agree! I have done nothing particularly notable or deserving, and that's why…" Hollypaw took a deep breath and hung her head. "Father, that is why I am leaving." She closed her eyes and awaited her father's judgement.

Finally, he spoke. "Are you afraid of me, Hollypaw?" he meowed quietly.

She was thrown off guard by the question. "N-no father!" she stammered.

"I smell your fear, daughter," Ravenwing meowed, but his voice was nothing but kind. "If you wish to leave, go."

"But fa—" Hollypaw stammered.

Ravenwing shook his head, and his gaze was infinite love. "Hollypaw, never let anyone or anything stop you from doing what you wish to do or become who you wish to be. Follow your heart. You are very dear to me, but you are also very realistic. Sometime, you will be faced with making your own decisions, and you will be disapproved of and risk everything for the sake of what you believe in. But that is the kind of cat I wish for you to grow up to be—someone brave, someone prepared to risk it all to follow her dream. That's what I did."

The tom let out a sigh before continuing. "Hollypaw, you will meet many different cats in this world, some dear friend, other malevolent foe. You will do well to heed these words: guard your heart, strengthen your will, and be friend to all, though not overly trusting."

The young she-cat gazed at her father with confused and saddened eyes. She suddenly didn't want to go, but she knew she had to do what was right. This wasn't just about her warrior ceremony anymore—these cats she had been shown in the pool were very real, and she evidently needed to seek them out.

"Do not be afraid, Hollypaw," Ravenwing soothed. "For Rose and Storm will be with you to guide you. May StarClan watch over you."'

"Only when they are not watching over _you_, father," Hollypaw replied, her voice choked.

Ravenwing smiled sadly and touched his nose to hers. He watched as she bounded through the moors, not once looking back. And he was glad that she hadn't looked back, for looking back meant having regrets. He let Hollypaw disappear with a willing heart, the most one could ask from any father.

He never saw her again.

And he already knew he never would when at last, her silhouette disappeared over the horizon.

xxx

As Ravenwing padded back to the barn, he saw Barley standing at the edge of the entrance. As if seeing the tom's regret, the elderly loner meowed: "You did what you had to do, old friend. Free spirits like hers will die if caged. You have done the right thing."

"Bah. Sometimes you want to choose what is easier over what is right," Ravenwing meowed, sighing.

"Talking in verse now, are we?" Barley cried enthusiastically.

Ravenwing laughed, but a part of him was crying out to StarClan.

'You have taken my son and beloved Rose before their time, and now you take Hollypaw away from me—I know it is for her own good, but StarClan, I've lost everyone! Firestar and Graystripe, Whitefeather, Goldenflower and Darkheart…what have I ever done to deserve this?"

xxx

Ravenwing dreamt that night. Instead of merely thinking about Rose until he dropped off to sleep, this dream was sent by StarClan. He was in the middle of Sunningrocks! He instantly recognized the place of where he spent his apprentice days with Firestar and Graystripe.

Sunlight streamed through the trees and bathed the rocks in a warm glow. It was greenleaf, and birds chirped high above. Before him sat a familiar row of cats—the cats that had given him his gifts the day he received his warrior name. Lionheart, whom had given compassion; Darkheart, who had given the gift of swiftness; Redtail, who had given the gift of protection; Whitefeather, who had given hm loyalty.

"Lionheart!" he meowed, his emerald eyes wide. He could hardly believe it, but there the golden tom was, staring at him with admiration clear in his eyes. "Darkheart, Redtail, Whitefeather!" His heart brimmed over with happiness; he could see his father, his dear sister, and two wise mentors. "But…what am I doing here?"

"I quite remember you saying something earlier about the cruelty of StarClan?" Darkheart growled disapprovingly.

"So we brought someone along to see you," Whitefeather purred mischievously.

The five cats parted and vanished among the trees and rocks to reveal a single cat sitting elegantly atop a rock. Her expression was shy as she cast her beautiful gray eyes down towards her paws. A ray of sunlight illuminated her unique, pale rosy pelt that had given her the name she bore. _Rose._

"_Rose_!" he yowled, racing over to the she-cat with wings on his paws, his eyes stretched wide, and his heart full to the brim. "Rose! Is that really you? Oh, Rose!"

The she-cat gently touched her nose to his and rested her head on his shoulder. "Ravenwing, I have missed you dearly," she meowed tenderly, twining her tail with hers. "I have been watching over you…and Hollypaw as well. She has a long, long path before her. It will be a dusty and worn road, but a road that she must travel if she wishes to accomplish something in life."

"I can't believe I'm seeing you again," he meowed, too overwrought to care about anything other than Rose. "You haven't aged a bit!"

Rose smiled. "And now you have been reborn," she meowed.

Astonished, Ravenwing looked down at himself. Starlight sparkled on his pelt, and even though he could not see the transformation happening to him, he could feel it—feel the energy and strength coursing back into his veins, feeling his tired muscles boost and feel his vigor strengthen. His emerald eyes gleamed with a sheen that Rose had not seen since she had left to roam the skies of StarClan—Ravenwing was truly reborn. As the starlight glitter died from his fur, he looked at Rose with astonishment in his eyes.

"Why have StarClan given me this gift?" he meowed in a hushed voice. "Will this new-found youth still be with me when I return to the barn? Oh, Rose, if only I were to see Storm before I had to leave…"

The smile dropped from Rose's face, and her pale gray eyes seemed hurt. "You wish to leave?" she meowed, sounding dejected.

Ravenwing hardly dared to voice the words. "You mean…I can stay?" he croaked. He had nothing left for him back in the barn—Barley's friendship did mean much to him, but to stay in StarClan and be reunited with Rose, his son, and all his other friends, and to watch over Hollypaw—it was all he ever wanted.

Rose smiled and touched her nose to his once more. "If you wish it," she meowed quietly.

"I wish it very much," Ravenwing replied, his voice tremulous.

The she-cat's smile deepened. "Ravenwing, I love you very much," she meowed, "and it will be wonderful to race through the skies of StarClan with you. We could meet all of your warrior friends and ancestors…and we could travel to different skies, where we meet the Tribe of Endless Hunting. Oh, Ravenwing, I have seen my mother, Sun of Radiant Light…she is wonderful…Ravenwing, everything here is wonderful and I wish to see it all with no cat but you!"

Ravenwing purred low in his throat. "And I wish to share it with no cat but you."

"Then let us go home."

xxx

There are numerous stars in the heavens, glistening like diamonds against a sheet of midnight-black cloth. It is said that when all cats are in their dens, curled up against the cold of the night, the stars come to life and prance around the heavenly skies, visiting former friends and finding cats on the earthly ground below that they shine down upon and bless forevermore.

Ravenwing divided his time in StarClan by looking down upon Hollypaw frequently through the Moonpool and traveling the skies with Rose and Storm. And of course, there was one more cat that Ravenwing often looked down upon—and when he did, his heart ached with sympathy and pity.

His dear, lost friend.

Graystripe.

And here ends our tale at last, for the secret has been revealed, and Ravenwing can truly rest among the stars, taking his place in StarClan, as it should be.

THE END 


	14. End Note

Oh, come now, surely no one thought I would _just end _"Ravenpaw's Secret" like that? Of course not! There are quite some lose ends to tie up, and the following gives you a bit of information on the sequel (collective gasps) and all the thank-yous that I wish to give out :)

_**Thank Yous: **_

There are so many people that I need to thank! Each and every one of them is special and without them, I could never have improved so greatly upon my writing skills, and I never could have written such a successful story!

Huntress _– _Man, Huntress, you're totally awesome, and I mean it! You're the truest, greatest, most honest friend ever. You're always kind, always compassionate, and always understanding. You don't hesitate to give encouragement, and you always have just the right advice that makes my day. You're totally an angel sent from Heaven! Not only that, but you're a great writer that has influenced me in so many ways—my writing skills have gotten better after reading your works and talking to you frequently. So please don't be humble and refuse this bit of praise, because I totally mean it. Be sure to check out her works, her username is Rebellwithoutacause, and I do not hesitate to recommend "Justify" and its sequel in progress, "Blood Chains." Keep rawrking!

Kylie_– _Kylie, you've been incredibly helpful and encouraging when reviewing and offering critics for "Ravenpaw's Secret". You are honest and true, always friendly and always helpful. I totally love co-authoring stories with you, because you have a great imagination and a biiiiig heart. You're totally awesome. Tell _anyone _at school that I said this, and I'll claw your ears off, by the way, no offense :)

Sleets and MoonAquaAngel_– _You guys are great! You constantly review my story chapters, and your reviews are always helpful and very encouraging. Sleets, you have my deepest thanks for offering advice and giving praise, and MoonAquaAngel, you're reviews always make me feel so warm and mushy on the inside. Keep writing, the both of you! And Sleets, update those songfics, hmm?

All of my reviewers – Just because you haven't been singled out specifically doesn't mean I don't appreciate your warm reviews and helpful advice! Every single review is dear to me, since it tells me that there are people out there who are reading my works and like what I'm doing. It totally makes me feel acknowledged! Keep reading, keep writing, and if _anyone_ **ever **tells you: "You can't do it, you'll never amount to anything," just remember what Ravenwing said to Hollypaw. Of course, if that doesn't work, you can always threaten to beat them up with a hammer :) (Please don't tell your mothers I've given you permission to become thugs. And please don't grow up to be gangsters unless you promise me to carry around _big_ bottles of hand sanitizer.)

The Sequel – The sequel to "Ravenwing's Secret" is all about Ravenwing and Rose's daughter, Hollypaw! What will StarClan have in store for her? Maybe some of you have guessed who the first cat she saw in the Moonpool was—it was Graystripe! Will Hollypaw manage to rescue Ravenwing and Firestar's old friend? And who were those other cats that she has seen? So be sure to keep an eye out for the sequel! (I'll let you know what the name is as soon as I think about one xD)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone, from the bottom of my heart to the top, scrap the love off the sides, and the entire middle as well—

& & A D D I E - - ;


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